Wedding Bells or Moving Boxes
by KelbyWoo14
Summary: Set season 6. Told from the perspective of Kate Beckett. What happens after Castle proposes to Beckett in season 5? Does she take the job? Does she say yes? Find out here. Some cases and lots of fluff between Beckett and Castle.
1. Chapter 1 Answer

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Did he actually say that? When I had heard him say that he was thinking about where we were going I thought he was going to break up with me. I didn't think that he'd forgive me for keeping this secret. We both agreed we wanted more, but where I was in my life, I expected our inability to have more would lead to a breakup.

"…Will you marry me?"

I could feel my heart fluttering, my breathing was heavy and panicked, but I liked the question. I wanted to say yes, so why wasn't I?

"I love you. You said whatever I decide. If I take that job in DC how would we make this work?"

He was still down on one knee; he was still waiting for my answer. "Kate, we will."

I smiled weakly. "How?"

"We love each other. That's enough."

I let myself smile. "Yes." He stood up and slid the ring on my finger. I wrapped my arms around him and we kissed trying to forget that this moment couldn't last forever.

It wasn't until the next day until we really came out of the moment. We laid in bed, the ring glinting on my hand. Rick grabbed my hand and spun the ring around a few times. We were both thinking it but not saying it. We propped ourselves up on our elbows and starred into each other's eyes. The blue depths of his were perfect.

"I'm taking the job Rick."

He still had a hold of my hand. He wouldn't look into my eyes. His thumb moved clockwise against the back of my hand and he looked up smiling. "You deserve that job, you deserve it all Kate."

"So do you."

"We have forever." I smiled and I leaned in and kissed him.

We got dressed and he made coffee. I stood in the kitchen. He was sitting at the counter starring at me.

"You're starring."

"I will be for awhile."

"I told you it was creepy."

"The ring keeps catching the light, I keep remembering you said yes."

"Why do you need reminding?"

"I keep checking to make sure I'm not dreaming."

"Like I told you a year ago, you were definitely not dreaming."

As we started to make out Alexis walked in. She cleared her throat and we didn't notice. "Hello, guys."

I looked over at her from behind her dad. I took a couple steps away from him.

"Alexis, what are you doing home?" He said.

This was the first time she'd walked in on us. It was so awkward. Alexis and I were close, we talked and she asked me for advice. We went out for coffee. We even complained about how annoying her dad was from time to time. She knew I was practically living with Rick so why did it feel like we'd been caught.

"What's going on guys?" She lifted her eyebrows accusingly.

I grabbed my coffee cup and started twisting it in my palm. It was a nervous habit.

Her smile was how you might describe a kid's at Christmas. "You're engaged?" She asked when she saw the ring.

She ran up to me so fast I didn't see it coming. She hugged me tighter than I ever thought possible.

"This is so awesome!"

I wrapped one arm around her trying to hold the hot coffee away from her. Rick took the mug from me and set it on the counter. I let my arms fall around her. It was a bit odd, but it felt right.

Rick pouted and looked at Alexis. "I'm engaged too."

She held out one arm and Rick joined the hug. It was so natural and so new for me. I couldn't help but think that they weren't over thinking this and I was. We must of looked so picture perfect.

"How about we go out to breakfast?"

I smiled and nodded.

We talked about how her classes were going and she asked about the proposal. Rick mentioned the job.

"Are you going to take it?" She asked looking hurt.

I didn't have much more than a small friendship with Alexis, but I felt like I was abandoning her. I nodded.

"Why?"

"It's an amazing opportunity, it's the FBI."

"Are you going to come back?" She sounded so innocent when she asked and I saw the little girl from the photos Rick always showed me.

I looked over at Rick and tried to smile. I realized he didn't know my intentions either.

"I'll have to come back. The two of you are here."

They both smiled.

"I'm taking the job in DC and we're going to see a lot less of each other, but hopefully once I get trained I could get transferred here."

"Hopefully?" She looked sad.

"Right now I really want this, but I hope that you're there for me whether I fail or succeed."

"Here?"

"Here." I confirmed


	2. Chapter 2 Goodbye

As I packed up my boxes in my apartment I realized most of my personal stuff was at Rick's. Once I had my things ready to go I glanced at my dad's watch. "12:30."

Rick had just walked through the door. "Right on time."

I didn't respond.

Rick tentatively approached me and held me close. "Kate? What are you thinking?"

"I know I want this, but I don't want to leave. It's not just you, either. It's your family…"

"Our family." He corrected.

I nodded, "…and everyone at the precinct. Espo and Ryan are going to hate me. Lanie's okay but still."

"How about this? If you get too homesick you just say the word and I'll fly everyone out to see you on a private jet."

"Don't be ridiculous." I smiled and nudged him in the side.

He looked at me with a confused smile. "What's ridiculous about that?" He really seemed surprised.

"You're kidding right?"

He shook his head. "No. I'd do that for you Kate. Even if I had to bind and gag the boys to get them there."

I smiled at the image Rick had left in my mind. "The only way you could mange that is if you had Lanie help you."

"She would too."

"Anything to irritate Javi."

He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a box for a ring.

"Uh, Rick, you do know that you already proposed right?"

He smiled playfully, "What?"

I shook my head at him and went to go pick up one of my boxes.

"It's a simpler ring. You said that you couldn't wear the engagement ring at work so I got this." He opened the box. It was a silver band set with small diamonds all the way around, but at first glance it just looked like a wedding band.

"Thanks." I said smiling. "That's perfect."

He took the box from me that I'd picked up and I kissed him on the cheek.

"I don't want to hear though that you're not wearing your engagement ring."

I smiled, "I don't want to take it off."

He helped me pack my things into his car and we headed to the loft to get the last of my stuff ready to go. I was leaving tonight at 6:00 for the airport. With any luck I'd sleep on the flight. I knew that wasn't going to happen though. It would be an hour and a half of fear and regret, but I had to do this. I had to try. If I didn't it would be for our relationship and later I would be mad at myself and at Rick for not going. I knew I had to go.

We finished up with everything by 2:00 and he sent everything to the service that would drop off my stuff at my new place except for two carry on bags and two checked suitcases. This stuff was what I would need if the boxes didn't get there in time. With overnight though everything should be there in the morning and I'd have everything brought up and moved in by 10:00 am the next day.

It was now 3 1/2 hours until I had to leave. Rick was sitting on the couch and I was curled up against him. Alexis, Martha, and Dad would be here at 4:00 so that we could eat an early dinner before I left. We would be ordering from our favorite Chinese food restaurant. They all showed up on time. None of them even knocked until exactly 4:00. I knew they were giving Rick and I time alone.

At 3:50 he looked down at me. We had been quiet for so long just holding onto one another. "I don't want to let go."

I pressed against him closer and tightened my grip. "Neither do I."

"I wont try to change your mind, but remember that I'm always looking for distractions."

I smiled. "I love you Rick."

"I love you too Kate."

Dinner got there at 4:30. We ate and we chatted about little things.

After we cleaned up the food everyone took a mournful look towards my packed bags at the front door, including me.

Rick's cell phone rang. "She'll be right down."

They all followed me down and the doorman helped the driver put my bags in the trunk.

Martha was the first one to say goodbye. "You call us and we'll visit at every opportunity sweetheart."

I nodded and gave her a hug.

She kissed me on the cheek. "Good luck kiddo."

I didn't think that she called anyone but Rick and Alexis that.

Dad was next. "Love you Katie." He hugged me tight. "Come back."

Alexis smiled shyly and then gave me another hug, but this one, although as tight as the last one, seemed to say _don't go_. "Kate…"

"Yeah?"

She let go for a second. "Be careful." She wrapped her arms around me again. "Remember every time you go chasing after someone that we're here waiting for you, okay? Don't you forget it!"

I didn't know how to respond. I hoped she knew how much I cared about her.

She took a few steps back and Martha pulled her close. I wished I could be the one to comfort her and I was the one causing this. I hadn't expected more than Rick to be here wishing me goodbye.

Rick was still standing back. The rest of the group drifted towards the doors.

"We love you."

"I love all of you."

He kissed me. It was such a good kiss that it hurt knowing we'd have to break a part. It was almost as good as our first kiss, the rush of emotions overpowering us blocking out all of reality until he pulled away.

I slid into the car. Rick kissed my hand and he closed the door.

The driver started the car and I didn't look back. If I did I would have burst into tears. I knew I'd be crying later, but no one would ever know.

When I got to the airport I had an overwhelming feeling to run back _home_. The loft was home in my mind now. The lady took my ticket and my ID. "What's the reason for your trip?" She noticed it was one way.

"Moving to DC for work. New job."

She wasn't interested; she had to ask.

Once I'd boarded the flight I tucked my lap top bag under the seat. I wanted to text Rick something, but I didn't know what. Everything seemed lame since I didn't know what he would want to hear right about now.

"All electronics off." They announced.

I texted. "Love you," and turned off my phone.

I had the window seat and I had insisted that my seat be coach. Although Rick had the money to fly me all over the world first class, there was no point if the flight was so short and you couldn't take advantage of the perks of being there. For some reason I also made note of how much it cost and started to count in my head how much I owed Rick. He insisted that money didn't mean much to him; it was more that it meant something different to us. I knew we were engaged now and it shouldn't matter, but for me it did.

I pulled out the pillow from my bag and leaned up against the glass trying to sleep. I gave up after about a half hour and pulled out my computer. When I opened it there was a post it note attached to it. "Check out your screen saver."

I pulled it up and couldn't help but smile. It said, _You should call your writer! _I smiled.

The woman sitting next to me scrunched up her eyebrows wondering what it meant.

"My boyfriend's a writer." I should have said fiancé, and then I remembered we hadn't told Black Pawn yet and I didn't know what would happen when people found out. Rick's playboy image had been deliberately publicized to get profits. I couldn't hurt his career by telling people about us.

"Anything I'd know?" She asked.

My smile dropped. I shook my head. "Probably not." I lied.

I wanted to tell her. I wanted to brag about it. I'd ask Rick about it the next time we talked.


	3. Chapter 3 Not Home

When I got my checked bags and had all my stuff I went looking for the driver from the car service that Rick had hired. I couldn't find anyone holding up a sign that said Kate Beckett or any other version of my name.

There was a young guy with a sign that I almost missed. It said _Nicole Rook_ on the sign. I approached him and he looked like he was going to laugh.

"I think that's me."

"The reservation was made by a man named Jamison."

I nodded. "I know him, totally not real."

He looked confused and took the two larger bags from me. "Right this way Mrs. Rook."

I tipped the driver when he dropped me off in front of the apartment. It was an upper scale building with a doorman, but the apartment I had settled on was ten times cheaper than the one Castle had offered to pay for. He wanted me to have a large loft style apartment so that I would feel at home. He had told me he would pay the difference on what I couldn't afford, but there had to be a security system and a doorman. I dragged the rolling suitcases and planned on making it upstairs on my own, after all I could manage.

The doorman smiled. He was dressed in all green from head to foot with white gloves and black shoes. "Good evening. I'm Taylor. What can I help you with?"

"I'm Katherine Beckett. I'm moving into Apt. 42."

"This will be the only time I ask, but may I see ID?"

I pulled out my license and showed it to him. It was still in the carrier that had held my shield.

He picked up my bags without asking me if he should. "Right this way Ms. Beckett."

When we were in the elevator he was all smiles. He seemed much happier than the doorman at Castle's loft.

"You are going to love it here. DC is so beautiful and this is the best apartment building. Don't get me wrong, there are nicer ones, but nobody can top our service."

He ran his hand along the rim of his hat.

"No sir-ee."

I fumbled with the new keys at the door and opened it up. He took in the bags and left them in the hall.

"Will that be all Miss?"

I nodded sadly.

"Cheer up Ms. Beckett. You're home now."

All I could think was _this isn't home_.

I dragged my stuff down the hall. To the left was the kitchen with an island in the center. Off the kitchen was the bedroom to my right. There was a private restroom. The living room was in the back and there was another bathroom. There was no furniture, nothing comforting. I took my bags into the bedroom. I hung up my work clothes in the closet. I took out an air mattress that Rick had forced me to pack. It felt like I was just going through the motions. I blew up the mattress and laid down a blanket and pulled out Rick's pillow. I lied down and set the alarm on my phone for 7:00. I curled up hugging the pillow close and starred at the empty white walls. I cried for a while and closed my eyes and went to sleep.

I was up early. I didn't have my coffee machine and I didn't want to go searching for a good coffee place in the city and possibly be late for the moving truck. I sat down on the island in the kitchen and I pulled out my phone and clicked the button to video chat Rick.

It rang for a little too long. I thought he wouldn't be up so early since he stayed up so late. Then he answered. He was in his office, but he had been asleep. There was an imprint on his cheek where he'd been sleeping against his keyboard.

I hadn't let him do that in a long time. "Hi Rick." I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

He yawned and tried to blink away how tired he was. "Captain here…"

He looked like he was still asleep. "I shouldn't have called so early."

"No! I'm awake. I tried to write last night. I couldn't sleep, but nothing really worked out. I just ended up watching bad movies last night. Not as fun without you to complain though."

I smiled. "I'm waiting for the moving truck."

"When are they supposed to be there?"

"In about a half hour I think."

"How's the apartment?"

"It's fine."

"Is there anything wrong?"

"No. It's just empty and I missed you already and it's not the loft."

"You'll get used to the apartment."

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

He smiled. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't smile at that."

"It's okay. I wish I were home were home too."

"It may not be home Kate, but it's safe, better yet it will be where your coffee machine resides."

"Keep talking."

"You'll have tons of photos of us and killer wifi which we are currently using and besides the fewer things in the apartment the better the acoustics."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's that have to do with anything?"

"You can sing and play guitar and it will sound beautiful."

"When have you ever heard…?"

"I came over once and I heard you playing and I've heard you sing Piano Man the day I bought The Old Haunt, you sang carols with us at Christmas, and you sing in the shower."

"Okay, but not very well." I tried to brush aside the comment.

"Really Kate?"

I heard a beeping sound.

Rick looked over at the corner of the screen. "I got a text from the boys. There's a body drop." He didn't want to hang up with me, but he did want to go to the crime scene.

"You should go." I offered.

"You wont be there."

I smiled. "I won't be there a lot Rick and this is the first time they asked, you should go. If you say no they might think you're done with them because I left. You should go."

"Okay, do you mind if I call you for advice on cases."

"No problem, don't let the boys find out."

"Love you."

"Love you too." I said.

He hung up. My cell phone rang. It was a number I didn't recognize. I picked it up.

"Hi, Ms. Beckett. This is the front desk. We have a move in delivery for Apt. 42. Would you like us to send them up?"

"Yes, please."

The men moved in my furniture and set everything up for me. The bed frame was put back together. The chest of drawers was set up. The television system was hooked up and the one couch was placed in there. This place was bigger than the last one so there wasn't enough stuff to fill out the space. When it was all moved in it didn't make me feel much better.

This stuff, in my opinion didn't belong here. I kept beating myself up for my decision. I hoped that tomorrow when I started work all of this would be worth it. Right now I needed to escape this place, this place that wasn't home.

I grabbed my favorite coat from one of the boxes and my bag and headed out to explore what was within walking distance from the apartment. I needed to find good food and good coffee now.


	4. Chapter 4 FBI

**A/N: To those of you who have followed this, **

**Thanks. I feel better about writing this knowing you like it. **

**I don't want to promise a happy ending, but stick with it and I will promise some really happy chapters. **

**Also, I have no accurate knowledge about what Beckett's training would be like at the FBI and I don't know what her job description would be, so it's up to my imagination until the show returns. **

The next morning when I got up I replaced my engagement ring with the band and put the diamond ring in my jewelry box. I went out, got myself a coffee and hailed a taxi to get to work. I had accepted the position on the task force, but I had to go through official training and testing. They had assured me that the process would be rushed for me. I walked into the FBI headquarters and went to the front desk. I pulled out my ID.

"Hi, I'm Det. Katherine Beckett. I'm supposed to report for training today."

The guard gave me an odd look. He took my ID and made a couple phone calls. "You'll need to get an official ID upstairs. This one is temporary." He handed over the badge.

"Thank you."

"You didn't bring any weapons?"

I shook my head. "I haven't been assigned any yet."

"Doesn't stop people from trying."

I went through a very long process of security checks and they all assured me that it would be shorter once I had clearance and an official badge. It was a pain.

I finally made my way upstairs and into a room filled with recruits. Most of them were much younger than me. Most of them would also be leaving for training at Quantico and this would just be a debriefing. I, however, would train here for 3 months and then from there, the task force would decide where I was most useful to them. I hoped that would be New York.

There was coffee and bagels on a table against the wall and a handful of chairs set up with a projector in the front. I went over and grabbed a bagel since I hadn't eaten anything and took a seat in the back.

There weren't many women in the room so when the other three spotted me they joined me in the back after they got their coffee.

"Hi." One of them said smiling. She seemed to be the dominant one in the group. "I'm Taegan, this is West, and Mendez."

They all smiled.

I swallowed the bite I'd taken of my bagel.

"Beckett." I said simply.

Taegan and Mendez didn't know the name, but West did.

I sighed.

"Katherine Beckett? Nikki Heat?"

I nodded hoping no one else would notice.

Taegan looked confused, "Like that movie right?"

I smiled, "Yeah," I said. "But it was a book."

West started to explain. "The series is about a homicide detective from New York whose mother was murdered and this reporter follows her around and they end up together, sort of. We don't really know how it ends up. Kate Beckett inspired the author to write it. I can't wait for the next one!"

Mendez nudged West in the arm when she saw that they were leaving me out.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

Taegan turned towards me and asked, "So did you end up together?"

Before I could answer the presenter walked in and started. After the in depth description and a large amount of paperwork we were dismissed.

"Would Katherine Beckett and Paulina Taegan stay behind?"

We looked at each other and headed up to talk to the presenter.

"The two of you have another round of paperwork, mostly waivers, and you'll be assigned to active agents in the department. You'll get you're testing schedule and requirements. Be prepared for a really intense 12 weeks. Welcome to DC detectives. At the end of this hopefully you'll both be agents."

He left us there to fill everything out.

While we were filling out insurance and emergency information she stopped and smiled at me.

"So, why'd you let a writer follow you around?"

"He proved he was useful." I said distracted as I filled out the emergency information. I didn't know whether to put Rick first or Dad. I settled with my Dad since he would be the one legally who'd have to handle things so far. Rick came next, then Lanie.

"Useful?" She asked skeptically also implying something else.

"He knew the mayor, in the beginning I didn't have a choice."

I finished the last of the paperwork.

One of the pages had tons of space for personal contacts and the many people that could be contacted to get a hold of me. This was for whatever might occur. Taegan was done before me. She had only filled out three people. I put down, Dad, Rick, Alexis, Lanie, Espo, and, Ryan.

"Big family?"

"Not exactly."

"Secretive huh?"

"Guarded." I corrected.

"Must not have been so fun to follow around. Did he have to beat it out of you?"

I scoffed.

"What?"

"Just the idea of Castle beating up anyone, unless Alexis was involved."

"Alexis?"

She was going to ask me more questions when two agents came in. The way they walked suggested they were partners. They were slightly closer in proximity than friends but still at a respectful distance.

"I'm Agent Rachel McCord and this is my partner Agent Colin Davenport. We're stuck with the two of you following us around for the next 12 weeks. From this point on you're Detective Investigators with the FBI and junior members of our team. It's our job to teach you what you need to know as agents. Which one of you is Beckett?"

I lifted my hand in a slight wave. "That would be me."

"You're technically assigned to me. Colin you have Taegan." He nodded.

He shook her hand, "It's nice to meet you."

"Follow us." Colin said.

We were shown to our desks in a private office for the task force. Our stations were at the far end of the office in the corner and consisted of two drawers and a computer screen.

We set down what little we had and they showed us to their crimes board. It was a high tech smart board like the one in Rick's office. There were a handful of cases on the screen.

Colin and McCord gestured for us to take a look at a few of them. "These are unsolved so far, we're looking for connections, absolutely anything."

Taegan tried to open a few of the files, but didn't know the gestures. I noticed Colin's bemused expression.

I smiled at Taegan to encourage her and started messing with the board. I doubled clicked on files and started using gestures to pull up the details. I downloaded a writer's app that they didn't have and started to story map the cases.

A few of the sections were already showing up with similarities. I let Taegan point them out while I worked on organizing them.

I turned around and smiled at the duo behind me and then turned back to the board. My thumb rested against my lips while I looked for connections Taegan hadn't already pointed out.

McCord approached the board. "What is this?"

"It's a word and story analysis program. You run a text through it and it tells you if an idea has already been used, names, details, and locations, to avoid sounding cliché."

"Who designed it?"

"Black Pawn publishing."

"This found more than the basic program we have installed. How did you find out about it?"

"Richard Castle."

"The author?"

I shook my head. "You know very well who he is. He was my partner at the NYPD and a mystery writer. You wouldn't have taken me on as a junior agent without doing a background check on us and we wouldn't be detectives if we didn't do a little research on the two of you to find out who we're working for."

Taegan having gotten used to some of the gestures on the board started using the private search engines to look them up.

Colin grinned and smiled impressed with the two of us. He was the easier going of the two. "Let's leave them to it then."

McCord wore a pinched smile, a more self controlled respect. "Welcome to the FBI."

**A/N: If you recognized the name Rachael McCord that's because I used the name of the character that will be given a multiple episode arc on the show. Not really a spoiler, more of a casting detail. I was imagining what she'd be like. **


	5. Chapter 5 The New Castle

**A/N: I looked to see if Meredith had a name other than Castle and I couldn't find one, not that it really matters much. I gave her the actual actress's name. I just couldn't call her Castle.**

Taegan was a bit like Lanie. She was easy to talk to and I wondered if that's what made her so good at getting information from me. She wasn't as strong when it came to the analysis part, finding connections, but simply getting information was so easy for her whether it was talking or online.

Despite her fumbling with the smart board on day one she was excellent on computers. She often jumped to outrageous conclusions like Castle did though, overlooking all the evidence she had just extracted. It always made me smile when she said "What if…" We balanced each other out a great deal.

The next day we were brought on a case. We weren't allowed to interview or get too involved, we were just supposed to observe. I knew FBI protocol for kidnapping and robberies because Demming had pulled me in so many times when we'd been dating.

We were sitting at our desks filling out most of the team's paperwork.

The Agents were interrogating someone. Taegan had asked to watch but they had refused.

"This is probably the wrong time to ask, but I noticed you have a wedding ring on. You married?"

I shook my head not looking up from the documents that were for a warrant to search the suspect's apartment. I smiled though.

"You married?" I repeated as a response even though she didn't have on a ring.

She shook her head. "I had a boyfriend in California, but we broke up when I took this job."

I nodded like I understood.

She didn't press me for details. She started with simple and small questions and then moved to greater importance.

Two weeks in she asked me about Castle. I told her about how we'd met and working with him, but I kept the details of our relationship to myself. I figured I really didn't have to say it out loud. She could probably tell seeing the way I smiled when I talked about him.

Since I had explained about my partner and my job I asked about her time at the LAPD.

She told me she'd been in Robbery and had never had a permanent partner. She'd been a member of a team for practically forever.

"What was your best case?" She asked me.

"Well, I can't really pick my favorite murder." I said feeling uncomfortable at the idea.

She looked at me, "Yeah right."

"Some of the most memorable maybe."

"So?"

"The tiger, the blue butterfly, Nebula 9, Santa, and two of the bombs."

Once I said them out loud I remembered that all of these had been important moments for Castle and I, times we had practically admitted our feelings or found out more about one another.

Her mouth dropped open. "I have no idea what you mean."

"What were your favorite cases?" I asked, not wanting to explain every case.

"I got this case at a movie studio and someone had stolen tons of props and vandalized a set. I got to meet all these actors. It was awesome."

"Anybody I'd know?"

"Natalie Rhodes." She said it like it was awesome. "She's my favorite actress."

"I thought you hadn't seen that movie."

"What movie?"

"Heat wave, Nat played Nikki Heat."

"It's on my list."

"What list?" Now she was confusing me.  
"My friend Christina told me I was addicted to movies and I told her I could go two years without seeing a single film and I did. Now I'm catching up on all of them and driving her crazy. Each time I see one that I missed during those two years I call her and tell her all about it from beginning to end." She grinned evilly reminding me of Castle.

"Sounds perfectly evil."

"It is." She realized that I hadn't said Natalie Rhodes. "Nat?"

I looked away and tucked my hair behind my ear. It was my tell in poker when I couldn't resist.

"Spill." She said

"She shadowed me during the filming of Heat Wave. We get together every now and then so she can study her motivations for the films. It used to drive me crazy, but now it's not so bad as long as she doesn't come dressed in matching outfits."

"You know her! What other actors do you know?"

I looked away again. She wouldn't stop starring.

"Martha Rogers, Meredith Stanchfield, and the cast of Heat. That's it and I'd rather forget knowing Meredith."

"Why?"

"Castle's ex."

I realized the way she got information from me was the same way Castle had. Little by little he'd ask questions slowly removing the bricks that I'd built up to protect myself. With the right brick gone the wall would come tumbling down. She was, sort of, my new Castle.

"There was another case I heard about. It reminds me of you actually. The whole thing sounds like the plot to a book. My mentor was on it. He had to follow these two crazy people around who were conducting their own private investigation. They flew out all the way from New York just to investigate a robbery of these melting bullets."

"Dissolving bullets." I corrected.

She rested her face on her arms and pouted. "Your life is so much more interesting than mine. That was you case?"

"To be perfectly fair, I'm one of the crazy people you mentioned."

This only made me want to call Rick more thinking about the similarities of him and Taegan and our old cases.

When she stepped out to get coffee I called him. "Tall dark and ruggedly handsome speaking."

"Get over yourself."

"Only when you get over me."

"Never."

"Dito." There was silence for a second and then a loud crash.

"What was that?"

"My computer. I knocked it off the table when I tried to lean back in my chair and then the books and the catalyzer fell off the shelf. I'm currently lying on my back with little birds swirling around in circles."

"Did you actually hit your head or are you okay?"

"No, I'm fine. Just my imagination, I'm not dying."

"Well tell the birds to fly away and let you abide by your screensaver."

I looked up and saw Taegan holding out a cup of coffee for me.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Who are you talking to?" He asked as his attention was pulled in another direction.

"Taegan. I told you about her."

"The new me! Let me talk to her!"

"I'm sure she doesn't want to talk to you, besides I've got to work."

Taegan held out her hand for the phone. She seemed to actually be expecting me to let her talk to him. For some reason I did.

Impatiently I watched as her facial expressions changed with everything he was telling her. "Okay, talk to you later." She said.

She hung up. "He said to tell his fiancé that the birds obey your every command."

"If his imagination really were up to me there'd be no birds." I said.

"So you're engaged?"

I closed my eyes in defeat. Castle basically already told her, but she had gotten _me_ to admit to it.

"What's this about birds and a screensaver?"

I was mad that she'd gotten me to admit so much already. "One reveal a day okay?"

"Okay!" She said excited.

What had I just done?

I'd agreed to give her more information, I admitted to more than I originally intended, and she was bringing me coffee.

I wondered what else he had said. He'd probably given her tips on how to bother me. I was probably just being paranoid though.

Later that day when the height and angle of my seat had been changed I realized that's exactly what he had done.

She really was the new Castle, not that anybody could replace the old one.


	6. Chapter 6 Trust

**A/N: This is the first chapter that contains a case. I'm sorry if it doesn't play out like a case on Castle. I watch tons of crime shows so sometimes I'm not sure which one I'm channeling. **

**If the murders ever get too twisted I'm sorry, the point is that Kate can handle it.**

Another two weeks went by and I walked into work with a request form for the weekend off. Alexis was moving into her new dorm and Rick had asked me to come see her off.

I wanted to go, I did, but I didn't make any guarantees. Although I could tell McCord respected my talent I didn't think she would let me leave early on Thursday and let me have Friday off. I hadn't been home in four weeks and I was desperate.

Rick had been out here a couple times and we had spent all Sunday either in bed or touring DC, and when I mean touring, I mean looking for the best food we could possibly find.

I handed McCord the document. "We'll see." That was all she said.

"Thank you. I could also just leave Friday morning if Thursday's not okay."

She nodded while filling out other paperwork.

"So why do you want to leave so badly?" Taegan asked. "You usually put in every extra hour you can."

"Different question."

Taegan smiled. "Okay."

We had gotten into a routine of her asking me a series of personal questions during the day and I chose one that I wanted to answer. Occasionally I gave her more than one answer but not very often, it was usually because I slipped up.

She, on the other hand, answered practically every question I sent her way, no matter how personal.

We got an important case that week. A high level official's son was murdered.

We were allowed to participate now since we'd taken and passed our first round of exams.

This was another reason why I was hoping she'd let me off for the day. We had done so well for a whole month. We were 1/3 of the way done with training.

McCord still thought of us as babies though, flouncing around about to break something.

The victim was about 25. He'd been killed on his way home from work outside his apartment building. He had literally been stabbed in the back.

I bent down and examined the wounds. They were jagged. "Hunting knife?" I asked the coroner, who was avoiding all of us FBI people.

She looked up surprised. "Yeah, It would have been about 8 inches, serrated edges and both sides of the blade were sharpened."

Colin and McCord were starring at me having this conversation. Colin looked like he was going to bust up laughing, he kept pointing over at me and resisting the urge to jump up and down.

"Was it professional?"

She pulled aside the sheet and showed me. I didn't flinch. It looked like she'd been expecting me to. I'd seen much worse than a slit throat.

She showed me the wounds. The knife had been jabbed into the throat from the side. The blade had been taken across the neck and into the back of the spine.

"The main arteries were also hit and someone pumped on his heart to get him to bleed out faster."

I thanked the coroner. "Thanks, Kate Beckett." I said holding out my hand palm up.

She placed her gloved hand just above mine. "Samantha Winfield. Nice to meet you."

She starred as I walked towards the agents. What I had just done was something coroners did and she was probably trying to figure out who had told me to do that.

I remained calm as I approached them and explained what happened to the victim.

Colin talked to me a lot. "So Beckett, how did you do that?"

He really wanted to know.

"Do what?"

McCord was a little annoyed with me, but she explained. "The different departments take issue with one another. The coroners have something against us. We usually read the details in their report and call if we have any questions."

"That's silly. If we both have to be here…"

"We've gotten used to it and it hasn't affected our ability to solve cases."

"Okay." Was all that I said.

Winfield also showed Taegan the body, but her ability to deal with it wasn't like mine. She visibly took a step back and she was pale. It had been pretty bad.

I walked up to her. "You okay?" I asked casually trying not do draw attention and block the agents view of her.

She smiled and nodded, but it looked like she was going to be sick.

"Taegan can you pretend your not sick for just a second?"

She nodded. I pointed down the block a ways and we started to walk towards the end of the taped off section.

Once we were there she ducked into the alley and I started to examine the sidewalk like I might have seen something.

I spotted a small lighter in the corner with a military symbol on the front. I picked it up and bagged it just as Taegan ducked back under the tape.

"Thanks Beckett."

"I've got your back."

"Look", I held it up. "Now we actually have a reason for coming over here."

I handed it over to evidence after I told the agents we'd seen something catch the light so we went to go see what it was.

Once we got back Taegan wanted to talk. "I've seen plenty of murders in robbery, it's just never like that. It's always unintentional or people shot to make things easier. That was…"

She drifted off remembering it.

"How do you do it?"

"Well, you do get used to it and you start to see the potential for bad in people everywhere you go, but I know from experience that even on a day like that someone else will surprise you and the two things don't add up."

"What do you mean?"

"For example, a really horrible murder and you start to see everyone as a killer, but then your best friend calls and everything's okay. You have to focus on the potential for good. For example, if you hadn't gotten sick we may not have found the lighter and we wouldn't have narrowed down our search, now we may catch a killer because of you."

She smiled slightly. "It doesn't really balance out."

"It never does, but the happy moments mean more."

Although we did narrow down our search it was from a list of supposedly dead Special Forces soldiers.

We spent most of the week searching for other identities they could of assumed and tried to find connection between these identities and politicians that had been in town.

We finally caught the killer, but not the person who hired him, and the guy wouldn't nark on him. He went to jail.

We figured out that his family had been paid a large sum of money from an offshore account and then the official changed his policy suddenly.

We couldn't fix any of it, but the killer was behind bars. It made me feel sick.

It was bringing up my mother's case all over again.

It was Thursday afternoon and I was packing up. Colin walked up to me. "Beckett, I'm so sorry, but I don't think that McCord is going to let you go."

I tilted my head and just looked at him.

He looked away and around at other things.

I smiled, that was his way of not letting me read his expression. That's what Castle did when he was guilty of something.

"Look," I said. "I wasn't expecting it. Just hoped."

I grabbed my bags.

"Wait." He said. "Why do you need to go to New York?"

"Personal."

He sighed and started to walk away.

"I was gonna see my family, haven't seen them in 4 weeks."

"Your family?" He asked.

He had probably done research on me and had only found one living relative, my dad.

"Yeah, I put them all down on that paperwork."

He nodded. "You can go."

I smiled. "Why now?"

"What?"

"You weren't going to let me go."

"You told me stuff you didn't have to. Trust." He said. I don't know if that last word had been the reason, a request, or a command. Maybe it was all three.


	7. Chapter 7 Sophomores

**A/N: Sorry to those of you who have been waiting for some Caskett fluff. Here's some to sate your appetite. I didn't mean for Kate to be away for 5 chapters, my bad!**

I went back to the apartment and changed into normal clothes, jeans, and a t-shirt. I grabbed one backpack with some stuff in it and had the front desk call me a cab.

I got to the airport around 10:30. I got a flight for 2:00 am. I got in at 4:00 and I was finally in front of the loft by 5:00. I used my key and slipped in. It was still dark. I dropped my bag and kicked off my shoes in the living room and quietly made my way upstairs. I curled into bed next to Rick and fell asleep.

An alarm went off at 8:00. I pinched my eyes tighter and reached out for my own alarm, which wasn't even going off, but I was tired and I couldn't tell.

When I pulled away Rick, while still asleep, wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him. I smiled and when he woke up he saw me looking up at him. "Kate?"

He was completely stunned.

"They released me for the day. I have to be to work tomorrow morning, but you asked me to be here."

"I didn't think you'd be able to…"

"I didn't think I'd be able to either."

"How long have you been here?"

I still had the watch around my wrist.

Before I said how long he got up. "That means we need coffee. Java Loft it is."

He got dressed. "I'll get the coffee and you wake up Alexis."

"Don't forget to get her a caramel ice blended."

"What?" He asked confused. He never got Alexis coffee.

"That's what she drinks when we go out." I said like it was normal.

Rick really wasn't aware of how many times I'd hung out with his daughter. I had always assumed she'd told him. He knew she had my number and called me, but not much more.

After I heard the door click downstairs I pulled on my jeans and one of my nicer shirts from the closet that I'd left here and headed into Alexis's room.

"Rise and shine." I said awkwardly.

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. I was surprised she got any sleep the day before move in. I knew I never did. "Kate?" First she seemed confused, as if everything wasn't right with the world and then she smiled.

"Is it okay that I'm here?" I asked worried that it had been al Rick's idea. I didn't want Alexis to have a bad day.

She hugged me suddenly perfectly awake. "I asked Dad to get you here, but he didn't think that you could leave DC for this."

"You asked?"

"I wanted my family there." She said so matter of fact.

We got up and headed to the kitchen. She started to make breakfast for her Dad. I grabbed the stuff from her and told her to sit down.

She tried to protest. "It's not a big deal Kate. I always make Dad and me breakfast."

"Not today you don't."

She seemed amused and a little unsure of what to do.

"There are certain days Alexis where he should be making _you_ breakfast."

She shook her head like there weren't any such day.

"Like all the time." I added playfully.

"Who's side are you on?" Alexis asked. I saw the fiendishness of Rick for just a moment in her eyes. She was wondering if I'd tag team with her against him.

I only smiled and she smiled back.

Rick walked in. He handed me my cup of coffee. I took a sip and realized how much the coffee place in DC paled in comparison. Rick awkwardly handed off the iced coffee to his daughter.

She looked surprised.

"It's from Kate." He said.

She smiled, "Thanks Kate." She said happily taking a huge sip.

"Since when do you drink coffee?" He asked.

"I don't drink it regularly, only when I go out with friends or on special occasions."

Between the three of us it was easy to move Alexis's stuff downstairs. It took practically no time at all. We got into the car and drove to Columbia. The campus was amazing and I couldn't believe that Rick could afford this.

I remembered taking out a million loans to go to school out in California although if it hadn't been for my parents I wouldn't have had them paid off by now.

Alexis rented a basket on wheels to get her stuff upstairs. It took two trips. When we walked in the room it was empty. Her roommate wasn't there yet. She claimed the bed to the right and we set everything up.

We started to put up pictures on her walls just as her roommate walked in.

The girl was Alexis's height with light dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. She was with her mother. They were both the spitting image of one another. The woman immediately approached me and held out her hand. I took it.

She said, "It's lovely to meet you, I'm Olivia's mother Patricia." She spoke with a very thick English accent.

Rick smiled and spoke for the both of us. "This is Kate and I'm Rick and this is Alexis."

She went to shake his hand next and nodded in Alexis's direction.

"I hope that the girls will be great friends."

She turned back to Olivia. "Sweetheart, I'll see you at Christmas." As she left she said, "Love you."

The way she acted reminded me of Meredith.

We glanced at her boxes that still needed to be unpacked. It was awkward that we'd stayed to help Alexis the whole morning and now we were still here and Olivia was just standing there.

Alexis handled it beautifully. She was so thoughtful, just like Rick.

"So, do you want any help unpacking?"

She looked over at us as if she didn't want to be an inconvenience if we'd had plans with Alexis, which we did.

Alexis turned to us, gave us both real big, but quick hugs and said, "How about I stay here and help her unpack and then maybe the _four_ of us could catch an early dinner before you leave?"

Olivia smiled brightly at the word four.

Rick nodded happily. "Definitely."

Olivia smiled, but said politely. "I don't want to be any trouble." Her accent sounded Scottish.

"Nonsense." Rick said.

"We'd love to have you." I added.

Rick and I went and got lunch off campus.

We were sitting in a booth just talking.

"I can't believe it's already year two for college." He said starting to feel old.

"I haven't known her that long, but I keep imagining her in that silly laser tag costume the first time I came to the loft."

"Last year we finished laser tag and promised best two out of three, but we haven't really played much since."

"You know that Alexis will always be there for you." I said trying to cheer him up. "She's your daughter."

He nodded. I could tell his mood had improved a little, but it was okay that he was a little sad. Move in was always exciting and sad. It was just the way it had to be.

"How's the book going?" I asked.

"Boring." He said. "No small talk. We are so much more interesting than that."

"Okay, plans for dinner."

"I had reservations at Maddie's place, but Q3's out." He said. "Can you call to cancel reservations and drop in Madison's name so they're not mad?"

I nodded. "What name was it under?"

"Malcolm Reynolds." We always used character names or a combo of different names so that no one would know that it was us. The most outrageous reservation that we made had been under the name Big Bird.

Rick watched me closely. The starring was stating to feel welcome or maybe I just didn't mind because of how little we had seen one another lately.

"Hi," I said. "This is Inara Reynolds. I'm canceling our reservation for tonight at 4:00. Something came up. Can you tell Madison that I'm so sorry?"

The woman was nothing but nice once she heard the name Madison.

Rick gave me a tour of the campus for fun to kill time and then we went into the library since Rick and I couldn't resist the books.

When we went in we weren't expecting a gaggle of new students to be having their schedules explained in detail to them. Rick had access to Alexis's schedule on his phone so he went up and asked. "Can you show me where these classes are?" He didn't mean it as a joke, but it came off that way.

I was standing behind him totally embarrassed, but also kind of enjoying the odd looks the kid was giving Rick.

There were a few parents with their kids, but not very many and they all had a kid close by. We were wandering around without Alexis.

The kid looked up, "Are you serious?"

Rick looked around. "I'm always serious." He said.

I laughed and the kid looked at me strangely.

He started to explain where the classes were. "What year are you?" He asked like it was funny.

"Sophomore year for us." He wrapped his arm around me and walked away leaving the poor kid to wonder about who we were and what we were doing there.

I ducked out from under Rick's arm. "Really?"

"What?"

"You could have said that we were seniors." I offered. Even though it was still impossible it may have been more believable.

He shook his head. "The dean said last year that parents experience college life alongside their children. As their children become freshman so do the parents. Now we get to be sophomores." He was so adamant about it.

"I think you're taking that speech too seriously."

"Maybe, but for today we're sophomores."


	8. Chapter 8 Dinner

We headed back to get the girls. When we got to the dorm the doors were no longer open for move in so we had to call Alexis.

Her and Olivia came down. Alexis was talking up a storm asking little questions here and there to include Olivia. Her roommate was quiet but seemed perfectly okay with this arrangement.

We went to one of the places Rick and I had frequented during cases. They served amazing Chinese food and quickly.

When the owner saw the two of us he started to wag his finger back and forth. "You no come here long time."

Rick turned on the charm. "We are so sorry. Busy with work, but your food is still by far the best in town, better yet, in the whole city."

"I no believe you. You two talk too much"

I smiled. "Ping, what if…" I let it hang in the air.

"If?" He asked.

I looked over at Rick and he nodded.

"…if Rick writes your restaurant into his next book?"

He smiled just slightly. "You know rules of my place."

"Fine." I consented and kissed him on the cheek.

Olivia and Alexis both starred openmouthed at what just transpired between all of us. Alexis recovered a little quicker than Olivia.

Ping grabbed the menus and showed us to our table. Once we were seated he said, "I 'spect my place look good in you' book and ink Ping gets kiss from Nikki too."

I laughed as he walked away.

Rick glared at me. "How am I supposed to write that scene?"

He was actually trying to think of a good way to include it. His mind was reeling; I could see the cogs in his brain turning. I made a mental note to help him with the scene later.

"Reality's too much for you Rick?"

"Yes." He said picking up a menu.

I pulled it away from him since Ping had only left two and the girls had the other one. "Then I guess you don't need to eat."

We both didn't have to look at the menu though. We knew exactly what was here. I handed the other one to Olivia. "Here you go."

Olivia looked speechless, more so than before.

Alexis smiled, "They're always like that. You get used to it."

After we talked about the food and ordered, it was interview time.

Rick went first with the questions. "So are you guys best friends yet?"

I gave him the look.

The girls laughed it off. "Considering that we've been through each other's closets I'd say we're pretty close."

Olivia smiled still remaining very quiet.

I turned to Alexis. "Have you decided on your major yet?"

Olivia seemed surprised that I'd ask her that, like I should already know the answer.

"It's still a toss up between pre-law and Pre-med."

"I don't want you doing what I do."

"I know." Alexis said, "but you're the one that said I was so good at it."

"The talent to interrogate can be used just as well in a courtroom okay?"

She smiled, "Okay."

I could tell she was still thinking about getting involved with law enforcement, even if it wasn't as a cop.

Olivia furrowed her brows. "What do you do for work?"

I took a deep breath. "Until last month I was NYPD, but I'm training with the FBI. I'm a detective investigator."

"Like Scotland yard?" She asked.

I nodded. "Sort of."

Alexis explained for Rick. "Dad's a writer."

"What have you written?"

"Mystery books." He said simply.

I looked over at him and gave him the look again. He was never so humble.

"Do I have to ask which one's?" Olivia said much more interested now.

Alexis answered for him again. "He wrote Derek Storm and Nikki Heat."

I noticed Olivia's eyes light up for just a moment and then fade. She was a fan, but she didn't want Alexis to know. I understood that feeling. It gave the other person power over you.

I also noticed something I hadn't noticed before. Alexis spoke for Rick a lot. He was more reserved when it came to his success with her. I smiled knowing this.

"What do your parents do?" I asked taking the attention away from Rick.

Alexis smiled like a cartoon character at the prospect of Olivia's answer. Clearly she already knew it.

"My father's a lawyer, but not in practice, just in degree. He manages our estate."

"What do you mean?" Rick asked, his writer's curiosity shinning through.

"My father's a Lord and my mother was a duchess."

"That sounds awesome." Rick said more to me than to the girls.

I noted that he needed to get out of the habit of commenting off to the side to me.

"What are you going to major in?" Alexis asked her.

"Communications and English Composition with minors in languages and linguistics."

Everyone at the table went silent. "I know." She said sighing. "Most people react like that. I'm quiet and they think it's ironic. I needn't let it bother me though. It's partly due to the fact that I have to sort of take over for my dad."

Rick spoke up. "Actually my silence was more of a delayed reaction to the fact that your father is a lord." It sounded weird hearing him repeat it. "And our name is Castle. Hopefully no one will make fun of the two of you."

"It's kismet!" Alexis said as the food was set down in front of us.

Olivia thanked us both for including her. She couldn't have been more polite. She even waited at a respectful distance while we said goodbye.

Alexis hugged her dad and said, "I will try not to miss you, but I'll fail. You'll be seeing me soon."

She turned to me. She spoke first. "Remember to come home more, if you can?"

I nodded. "You know you can call next time. Your dad doesn't have to relay messages between us. If you want me here I'll try to make it."

She threw her arms around me. "Love you."

"I love you too Alexis." I think it was the first time I had said it outright to her. She lit up happily.

"Same message as before. We're waiting."

I could never forget it. Every time I'd been brought out to a crime scene or gotten close to a suspect I had thought about it.

"I won't forget."

She turned to go, grabbing Olivia by the arm, taking her a little by surprise. Although they were such opposites they'd be good for one another kind of like Rick and I were.

**A/N: Clearly I'm a fan of Alexis. I think there should be more of her on the show and I'll guarantee more Kate/Alexis family fluff in future chapters. **


	9. Chapter 9 Proof

I got to the airport at 8 for my flight at 10 but it was delayed for 2 hours. I didn't get back to DC until 2 in the morning. I slept through my alarm and was a half hour late to work without coffee.

Taegan grabbed me and pulled me down into my seat handing over a whole stack of paperwork. Half of it was already filled out. I glanced over at hers. It was the same. She had done the first half of each to cover for me.

McCord and Colin walked in. "Good morning detectives."

She turned to Taegan. "Good job watching her back." She turned to me. "If I give you a favor don't rub it in my face by being late for work."

I stood up and waited for her to look at me.

"What is it?" She asked completely perturbed.

"Thank you for allowing me to go. I was late, I'm sorry."

"No excuses?" She asked surprised.

"No."

She smiled, "There may be hope for you yet."

Colin gave the two of us thumbs up as he followed McCord out of the room.

I rested my head on the desk.

"So, how was New York?"

I looked up at her for just a second so she could see my expression and then I rested my head back down. "The things we do for family." I said.

Taegan smiled at this little tidbit of information and went and brought me back a crappy cup of coffee. After the java I'd had yesterday I could barely stomach it, but I had to stay awake. I was running on 6 hours of sleep in 2 days.

We got two cases at the same time, which hadn't happened the whole time we'd been here. I was with McCord and Taegan went with Colin. This was my chance to rise to the occassion.

When we got to the crime scene I noticed that McCord wasn't speaking to anyone just taking in the scene.

We were in an apartment building. I looked at the badge sitting on the table. It said Metropolitan Police. She was a police officer.

I started to wander, but not too far from McCord. It didn't look like the apartment had been disturbed in any way.

Someone approached McCord and I joined them.

He looked at me questioning whether or not to speak to her in front of me.

"It's okay. This is Detective Beckett, she's shadowing me."

He nodded. "The victim is Carolyn Winters and MPD which is already cause for priority, but her father is a major player at a law firm and his company is a donor to the new campaign for Senator Bracken. The FBI was called because her father started getting threats and two of his closest friends turned up dead. They don't think his daughter's death is a coincidence."

I visibly took a breath at the name Bracken and McCord noticed.

Alexis's warning started flashing in my head like a neon sign. It was fighting with my need to dig deep into this case.

"Who found the body?"

"The victim's boyfriend. They had made plans for last night and when she didn't show he went to her work and then came here looking for her."

He started to head into the bedroom and McCord followed; it took me an extra second. It felt like my feet were filled with led.

She was on the floor in front of her mirror. She'd been getting ready for her date. The mirror was shattered. The bullet had gone through her stomach and exited shattering the mirror and embedding itself in the wood of the wardrobe.

This room had been tossed like someone was looking for something. I wondered if she'd gotten any information on the senator and that's why she was killed. I couldn't just come outright with this theory without some kind of evidence.

Once we got back to the office McCord started going over the cases to look for similarities. She was using the program that I'd uploaded my first day. Castle would have called her on it, but not me. I just grinned making a mental note.

"What do you think?" She asked a little upset that she couldn't find any other connection other than the girl's father.

"It's usually the most obvious answer. The connection is the father, or at the very least the law firm. We should start taking a look at the financials and phone records."

She nodded. "I know, I just feel like there's something else going on here. Otherwise we wouldn't have gotten this case."

"Why?" I asked.

"I take the hard ones, the ones people don't want." She said starring long and hard at the smart board.

"In New York I did the same thing."

"Any crazy theories?" She asked casually.

"No." I said wondering why she'd ask. "I need evidence."

She looked a little down cast.

"Maybe there's a conspiracy." I offered awkwardly thinking of Bracken.

She perked up a little.

"Maybe Winters came across something at work…" I trailed off and she glanced over at me.

"That's it." She ran out and told someone to get the case files that the woman had been working on.

I smiled. This was a good lead, but I wasn't supposed to get involved with Bracken. If I did…my thoughts were interrupted.

"Beckett, let's go. We'll interview some of her coworkers."

Walking into the precinct felt right even if it was the wrong precinct. Seeing people in uniform made me feel comfortable and at home.

We walked up to the girl's desk. It had a picture of her and her boyfriend taped to the computer screen. We had already cleared him of the crime. He had gone ahead to the restaurant and had waited for her. The employees there had confirmed it.

A detective approached us. "I'm Det. Benson. Can I help you?" She said. Her words were filled to the brink with icy disdain.

McCord didn't flinch. "Where can we find your captain?"

"His office is over there." She pointed down the hall.

"Don't expect Davies to be friendly." She added.

"What's her problem?"

"We're FBI." She said. "It's normal."

Realization spread across my face. "I didn't think about it. I hated it when you would swoop in. This is one of their own too."

She nodded. "This isn't going to be easy."

Captain Davies met with us, but wasn't pleased to see us. He told us what little he knew, which was practically nothing. Apparently his detective didn't update him on her leads the way I had. He didn't complain because she brought in results. Essentially he had no idea why this would have happened.

"Catch whoever did this." He said firmly as if he were talking to one of his detectives.

I hadn't spoken yet, but I felt the need to tell him that we cared. "We'll do our very best to find out what happened to her, to give her, her voice back."

The captain flinched. "You knew Roy?" He asked.

My inner alarms were blaring. There was no way this was a coincidence if both Roy and Bracken came up. "He trained me." I said.

McCord didn't like this conversation and she did notice the tension.

The fact that their captain knew Montgomery made me suspect him, but again I had no proof to offer McCord and I had promised never to sully Roy's reputation.

I wondered at this point if I wanted to find evidence. Deep down I knew I did.


	10. Chapter 10 Details

McCord was a great investigator. She noticed that something was up, that our meeting with the captain had bothered me. "Who was Roy?"

"My mentor." I said simply.

She gave me a very knowing look, a commanding look that said _there is way more to it than that._

Before I could stop myself I started to explain. "He was the one that brought me into homicide, he gave me my career. He died to save me, took a bullet that was meant for me." This was the truth to an extent.

My mind flashed back to that moment in the cemetery. The pop sound of the rifle and Castle tackling me flooded my mind.

I twisted the ring on my finger to bring myself back to the present.

"Sorry." She said. She waited to see if I'd respond. "Davies didn't like that you knew Roy. Is there something I should know about?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

"Beckett?" She didn't think that I'd tell her anything.

"We should probably look into the captain as a suspect."

She looked at me like I was crazy. "On what grounds?"

"Would you believe me if I said it was a hunch?"

She looked at me quizzically.

"Trust?" I said tentatively bringing up what Colin had said to me.

It worked.

She sighed and picked up her phone. "This better be one good hunch."

It turned out to be pretty good. They found tons of questionable deals letting criminals off easy and some mysterious cash payments to the man's accounts. This cop was defiantly dirty, but there was no way to tie him to Winters' murder.

We questioned him, but got nowhere.

"I didn't kill her." He insisted. "I'm not the greatest cop, but I ain't no murderer."

"I think she told you about a lead and you silenced her." McCord offered.

He rolled his eyes. "She didn't tell me anything. She never did."

I spoke even though McCord really hadn't given me permission. "I was like Winters, never told my captain anything. He always knew what I was up to even if he didn't know my leads." I starred him down. "You can't seriously tell us that you didn't know she was getting herself into trouble!"

"Okay," he sighed. "There are a handful of political cases that remained unsolved if you know what I mean. She got all revved up about them the past two weeks. She threw herself into her work like it was an obsession. Something caught her attention."

"What was it?" McCord asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" He said angrily.

"Anything else?"

"Can I get some coffee?" He asked.

We both got up. We knew this conversation wasn't going to get any better.

We left the room. "He has motive." McCord said. "Winters was looking into the cases he covered up."

"Allegedly." I said. It had sounded like I was correcting her like a lawyer might.

She looked over at me a little amused. "When's your day in court?" She asked.

"My mother was a lawyer."

She nodded. She knew that. Like I had said before, she had done her research.

Taegan and Colin had just wrapped up their case, but they didn't join in. McCord didn't want them on this yet, not until we had exhausted every lead.

"Let's take a look at that law firm."

We drove out there. We met with Mr. Winters. His office was huge and was decorated with tons of sculptures and art.

"Hello Mr. Winters. We're so sorry about you're daughter's death."

He nodded. "Do you know what happened?"

I shook my head. "Was your daughter acting strange lately?"

He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "Not that I noticed." He changed the topic.

"You look familiar." He said to me.

"It's probably just a coincidence." I said, even though I didn't believe in coincidences especially when there's a murder.

"What did you say your name was?"

McCord was annoyed. "Beckett, her name is Beckett! Your daughter, found something that someone didn't want to get out. Do you have any idea what it was?"

His attention went back to McCord for a moment. "She asked to see old case files a few weeks ago."

He looked back at me with a sad expression on his face still trying to place where he'd seen me before. He had probably seen me in a magazine that was promoting Rick's books.

I could tell that he wanted to focus on absolutely anything but his daughter. He was still in denial of what happened. "I told her that she could as long as she didn't share anything with anyone else. She just wanted to do some research on some old cases."

"Will you grant us access to what your daughter was looking into?"

"I'll have my assistant send over the files this afternoon."

We thanked him for his cooperation; as we were leaving he stopped us. "Wait!"

"Joanna." He said.

I gulped trying to hide my shock. "My mother?" I asked.

"My daughter was looking into Beckett's old cases, and anything that resembled them."

McCord looked at me to see how I'd react to this information.

"How did you know her?" I asked.

"I went up against her in court once. She won."

"Thank you for telling us. I'm sure that's important." McCord said trying to get me out of there.

As we walked out McCord watched me as if I were a bomb that might explode at any moment.

"Can you handle this?"

I nodded. "I can. I've done it before. I can do it again. I'll let you know if I need to back out."

"Would you?" She asked slightly puzzled by the idea.

"What?"

"Back out?" I could tell that she was thinking that in my shoes she wouldn't back out for any reason.

"If it got too dangerous for me, if I became a target. I can't put my family through what I went through. My mother wouldn't want that."

"Let's figure this out." She looked at me oddly.

As I saw her reaction I realized she was very much like I had been, she wouldn't give up, not if she could help it. She was a crusader.

She invited Colin and Taegan onto the case for fresh eyes to see if we missed anything. When McCord explained about my mother Taegan looked over at me to see if I was coping. I hoped that I looked like I was.

For hours we poured over Winter's political cases and my mother's old cases.

I noticed something in one of the police reports. It talked about a 22 year old that had been found guilty of killing his brother's girlfriend and I remembered my mother mentioning something to me over the phone. I'd been away at school and hadn't really wanted to listen to her talk about work. She had taken the cases no one wanted, the ones that lawyers thought were lost causes.

I referenced the file with hers and found her notes. It was pretty clear she had thought he was innocent of the crime, but the evidence said otherwise.

What in this report could have made her question his guilt? There had to be something that we were overlooking.

We decided to take a break to get dinner. I wanted to protest, but I knew I shouldn't. It actually felt like we were a team now, not just doing the grunt work. They got the food to go and went back probably knowing that sitting in a restaurant would drive me crazy.

I read through the file again. She hadn't won the case. "Maybe she didn't have any evidence?"

They all just looked at me. "What kind of lawyer would take that case?"

"She was like me. If she talked with him, maybe she believed him when he said he was innocent. She was working with multiple law firms and police departments at the Justice Initiative to reverse sentences on innocent parties. This must have been the first case that got her on his radar."

I kept reading through the report trying to find anything, but they were all staring at me.

"Who is _he_?" Colin asked.

I froze.

McCord looked angry. "You know more about this than you're saying."

I didn't respond.

"Trust." Colin said.

"If I say anything without evidence to act on I'll end up like my mother."

"Maybe not. Nothing leaves this room."

Colin went and closed the door.

"It's all circumstantial." I said. "I can't tell you how I know."

They all waited. "We can't help if we don't know the details.

I knew they were right. I would be ending this investigation if I didn't say anything.

I couldn't do that, no matter how much I had changed. I couldn't withhold information if there was a chance.


	11. Chapter 11 Surface

"A little over twenty years ago Joe Pulgatti was caught. He claimed he was innocent and my mother took his case. She started investigating a cover up. _Allegedly_, the cops framed Pulgattti. They _apparently_ knew he was dirty so they decided it was up to them to get him off the streets. Senator Bracken was DA at the time and _allegedly _found out, _supposedly_ he black mailed these men to finance his political campaign. When my mother started looking into it everyone that was involved died at the hands of what was _claimed_ to be random gang violence. They had also been trying to clean up Washington Heights so the cops had just _assumed_ that the drug lord Vulcan Simons was behind it."

"So you think that Winters found out something and_ they_ had her killed?"

I nodded, "The problem is we never found any proof."

Taegan looked confused. "Didn't you save him? Senator Bracken. He commended the New York PD for saving him from a car bomb."

I nodded. "I pulled him away from the blast."

Colin looked appalled and McCord looked proud. "That was the right thing to do." She said.

I could tell by Taegan's expression that she didn't think so.

"We caught Dick Coonan. He was the one who was hired to kill my mother's team. He was shot before he could implicate anyone though."

"Who shot him?" Taegan asked wondering if it was a lead they could follow.

I shook my head. "I shot him." Taegan's eyes went wide with respect and fear. "He had my partner at gunpoint. I didn't have a choice."

There was a long silence.

McCord smiled just slightly. "You said Coonan was a hired gun?"

"There was no gun, but yes." I said feeling far away. I was visualizing the crime scene photos.

"We should look at the phone records of people in the precinct having a connection with the people at the law firm and then check their financials."

"Who?"

"Even though the captain's dirty I don't think it was him…" Colin said.

McCord interrupted him. "We should see who the captain contacted lately. If he talked to anyone at the company we should find out."

"Why the captain?" He asked.

McCord shared a look with me and gave me a comforting smile. "Trust me. There's something there."

Colin turned to McCord. "Whatever you say Rachel."

It wasn't what we were expecting. It had turned out that Mr. Winters had been the one contacted several times by Davies.

We asked him to come in to answer more questions. He did, he didn't think he was a suspect.

I asked to stay out of the bullpen. I didn't want him to feed my name back to Bracken if he was involved. He didn't know that we had any leads yet.

"Is there anything else you can tell us?"

He shook his head. "I didn't know what she was up to. I thought she was just doing her job."

Taegan looked at me. "You think he had his daughter killed?" She didn't seem convinced.

I shook my head. "I think he could be involved or he told someone who was and she got killed because of it."

"Who did you tell that your daughter was looking into this?"

"No one knew, but me. She was just doing her job. I talked to the captain to check that she was working on a case and I thought I was helping her."

"Helping." I said it under my breath. I looked over at Taegan like I did with Castle. He probably would have known what I was thinking.

"What?" Taegan asked.

McCord had thought of it too. "Did your daughter have to get help from your secretary at any point?"

"She might have had to get my pass codes from her if she was accessing high profile cases and Carolyn was looking for the hard copies too so Allison would have had to have let her into our storage facility."

"Hard copies?" Colin asked.

He nodded. "We keep the old files downstairs. The photocopies get catalogued on the computer. We were getting ready to dispose of everything in the storage room after we completed the transfer to digital."

His face slowly changed from innocence to pure fear.

"It was Allison's idea to get rid of the backups and turn that space into more offices."

Taegan looked over at me smiling. It was the proper reaction to finding a new lead, being one step closer to the killer, but my heart was racing. I couldn't smile, not yet.

When we showed up at Allison's office she tried to play it cool. It was obvious she was nervous though.

"In what ways did you help Det. Winters while she was here?"

"I gave her passwords that's it. I know that her father had given her permission."

"Did you tell anyone?"

"What?" She was trying to play dumb but she knew something.

McCord was trying to press her, but we didn't have any evidence.

"We'll check your phone records and your financials and if anything suspicious shows up we will be seeing you again."

She turned to leave.

"Wait." She said.

"I'm listening."

"Someone approached me two weeks ago on my way into work. They asked me to convince my boss to get rid of the records room and tell them who had access. They paid me a lot. I didn't think it would do any harm. No one goes down there ever and we were already converting everything to digital."

She pulled out her phone and pulled up a contact. "This is the number he gave me."

We traced the number to a burner phone. The girl gave us a sketch, but it had probably been a third party that had hired her. We had spent all our resources and all our leads on this.

Whoever had gone through all the trouble to hire Allison had covered their tracks. Ballistics didn't even give us anything. We got the make and model of the gun, but it was common and there was nothing in our system. The team was standing in front of the board trying desperately to find connections.

They found out that the men who had died had also been in the storage room in the last two weeks. There were tons of people going through the digital files but I knew they wouldn't find anything.

"Stop." I said.

They looked back at me. "Beckett, it's okay. We'll find something."

I shook my head. "Every time that I look into this it only makes things worse for me. All we have is a scared secretary and a sketch that will lead us nowhere."

Taegan shook her head, "We can't stop. This is personal."

I shook my head. "If this was just another case you would all realize that there's no other leads left to follow. This is one for the shelf."

Colin looked at McCord. "Rachael…"

"No, I can't give in." She turned towards the board as if she might find something right there.

I went up to her. "I've been where you are and it's not worth it. We did everything we can with this case. We can only hope that we'll catch them next time or better yet that there isn't a next time."

"How can you just give up on a case?"

"I have something that means more than catching him."

She nodded and with great difficulty Rachael McCord put the case to rest, at least for now. She was too much like me, or like I had been to completely drop it.

After that day we were still detectives, but they treated us like Agents and they shared in the paperwork staying after cases to help us out.

The team knew so much more about me now and still they hadn't even cracked the surface.

**A/N: Sorry if that's not the ending to this case you were expecting. Not solving this one just felt right. I feel like Espo, Ryan, and Castle should be a part of that turn of events. **

**And for those of you who want some Caskett time it will be coming soon!**


	12. Chapter 12 Mother or Mom

The next month was real slow for cases so McCord and Colin helped us study for our next round of exams by going through tons of old cases. Colin and I were going over national security protocol when McCord came in with a case file. I thought it might be one for me to review for our exams, but it wasn't. "We've been asked to offer our services to the MPD on a serial case. We're not taking point we just want them to update us so it's mainly going to be them dodging us the whole time.

I smiled guiltily remembering how many times Castle and I had gone behind the backs of a government agency.

"For that smile, you can go deal with the police."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Go. Have_ fun_?" She said sarcastically.

I was a lot more comfortable around the two of them now so we were testing our boundaries as coworkers and friends.

I joked, "If the two of you wanted to be alone all you had to do was ask?"

The freaked out expression on Colin's face told me I had unintentionally hit the proverbial nail on the head. They were together.

She tossed me the keys and I caught them. "Get going Kate."

I flinched slightly when she said my first name.

"Goodbye Rachael." Saying her name felt so weird. She was basically my boss. I would never have called Gates, Victoria.

I went to the MPD and talked to their captain in homicide. It was the same precinct as before, but they had a new captain. When the detectives saw me they gave me evil looks. Our investigation had replaced their captain with someone they didn't know.

"I'm Detective Investigator Kate Beckett from the FBI and I'm here to offer our services in your serial investigation."

"Thank you." He said unenthusiastically. "I'm sure it will be a great help."

"You can let Det. Benton and Quinton know how helpful you're going to be."

I went out and looked at the nameplates. The desk that had belonged to Winters said Quintin and the other girl from before approached.

"What are you doing here? You going to kill another captain."

"I'm here to let the detectives on the serial case know that they have the full support of the FBI."

"I'm sure they don't need your help."

I understood. "I'm sorry about your partner, Det. Benton. I can assure you that we did everything we could."

"Well, we'll let you know if there's something you can't help with." She said with even greater bite than before.

A male detective approached. "Benton, who is this?"

I held out my hand. He shook it politely.

"I'm Det. Investigator Kate Beckett. I'm with the FBI and we're willing to assist in your investigation if you require our help."

"Thanks." He said happily. "We'll keep that in mind."

I turned to go and made my way towards the exit.

"Agent Nikki Heat." He said playfully, not thinking that I heard him.

Although Benton was mad she smiled just slightly.

When I got through security and went upstairs the team was waiting for me in front of the smart board. They had the details on the serial case, but it didn't look like anyone was trying to figure it out. They were all waiting for me?

"What's going on?"

"We were going to ask you the same thing?"

"There's someone here that claims they're related to someone on this task force." McCord said

I furrowed my brow and then I wondered if it could be…

Colin smiled, "We told her it wasn't likely, but she insisted her_ mother_ was on our team."

"Alexis?" I asked. I was shocked that I had responded so quickly to their implication of mother with her name.

"So it's true?" Taegan said.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Downstairs, security detained her until we could confirm if she was telling the truth."

"Is she allowed to come up?"

McCord nodded and dialed security to bring her up.

When the elevator doors opened Alexis was standing between two uniformed officers.

She ran up to me and gave me a hug.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, worried that something was really wrong.

"You didn't call and I haven't seen you since you moved me into my dorm. Dad hasn't even talked to you that much lately!" She accused.

"I video chat him every morning."

"That's not enough." She said. "What about me?"

I realized that I should have been calling Alexis too, but I figured she'd be busy with school her first few weeks and I didn't want to bother her. We hadn't really figured out what we were to one another yet and she was usually the one to call me.

"You're right. I should have called." I smiled, I was so glad to see her. I pulled her into another hug ignoring my team who was watching this all unfold. "How did you get here?"

She bit her lip not wanting to tell me. "My credit card." She said guiltily.

"I wish I could see the look on your dad's face when he gets the bill."

"I'm going to tell him."

"You know your dad, he's not going to care."

"He'll be mad he didn't come with me."

Alexis noticed our audience for the first time. "Ummm."

"Oh." I turned to introduce her. "This is Alexis."

She smiled real bright at them.

"This is Det. Taegan, Agent McCord, and Agent Davenport."

"I've heard so much about you guys from Dad. It's kind of crazy but we feel like we know you even though you know…we don't."

McCord spoke very bluntly. "We haven't heard much about you."

Alexis scrunched up her nose a little and smiled. "Mom's like that, she doesn't open up to people too easily. It took her forever just to go out with Dad…"

I was stunned that she had said Mom and not Kate. I thought she had been way too old to except me as a step mom, let alone use that word to refer to me. I thought we were just friends.

"Alexis!" I said more in reference to the word mom than the fact that she was prattling on.

She continued anyway and the team started to smile. "I swear Grams tells me every other day how much Dad was just head over heels, that is if had heels."

I closed my eyes and I took a deep breath. I put my hands on Alexis's shoulders and pulled her into the other room. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"I don't know, but it was fun."

"We even yet?" I asked.

"Not quite Mom, but we'll get there eventually!"

"Alexis!" I said seriously. "Are you sure you want to call me that? What about Meredith?"

She made the dirtiest look at the mention of her mother's name. "What about her?" She asked.

"She's your mom." I said simply. "She'd probably be hurt if she heard you call me that."

Alexis shook her head like I was silly.

I wondered if Meredith had done something recently to upset her.

"She is never around and when she is she's more of an aunt. I love her and I'm not mad at her. Anymore." She added. "You are, with the exception of the last two months, always there when I need to talk, when I need advice and you take my side when it comes to Dad. You care, I choose you." She said.

"It's not that simple Alexis."

"Why not? It's simple to me. Dad cares, he's there for me. He takes care of me. He's my dad." She sighed knowing I was still resisting this new title. "Okay, let's put it like this."

She watched to see that I was paying very close attention. "If something bad happened to me or was happening to me would you show up? Would you be there?"

"Yes," I didn't hesitate.

"If I had asked you to come to my graduation would you have been there?"

She knew that I had been investigating my mother's case that day.

I was surprised to say, "Yes."

"Meredith didn't come when I got sick and was out of school for two weeks when I was little. She didn't come to any graduations, she was at only a few parties and most had been rescheduled several times by Dad so she could be there. She has never had dinner with just me to simply talk and catch up. When I was kidnapped she didn't come to New York. You stayed with Grams practically the whole time and you would have gone to Paris with Dad if he'd told you."

"Your Dad…" I tried to argue that Rick had told me Meredith loved her.

"He's tried to get her to want to be there, she cares but not as much as she should."

I knew Alexis had not meant to say so much. She was calm though. She wasn't choked up about it, for her, these were the facts.

This broke my heart. I didn't understand how someone could not want to spend every moment with Alexis if she were their daughter.

Although I wanted to be close to Alexis I didn't want to replace Meredith even if there wasn't much to replace. I didn't want to overstep or cause a problem for her.

"I don't know what to say." I admitted.

Alexis looked sad. "Both of you don't want me." She started to get choked up.  
"I knew you cared even before you told me. You were there for me before you dated Dad. Why?"

"When Rick talked about you, it reminded me of me when I was that age. The more I heard about you the more I wanted to know you. I knew Meredith wasn't around and I knew what it felt like not to have your mom around when you needed to talk."

"I'm Meredith's flesh and blood and she has never said anything like that to me."

"I want you." I said. "I wish I could be there for you more, but I don't want you to choose me over Meredith. She is your mother no matter how far away and no matter how much she missed out on."

Alexis considered this for a moment. "Can I propose an idea?"

I nodded, glad that she had calmed down again.

"She is my mother. You are Mom."

I didn't argue with that and Alexis smiled. "So where's your team? I need to tell them more personal information about you."


	13. Chapter 13 Three weeks Too Long

Alexis spent the weekend with me and we went to dinner, a movie, and just hung out talking about her boyfriend.

We chatted about what I had been doing at work and I told her more than I knew I was supposed to. I told her about McCord and Davenport, she had picked up on it.

We made plans for her to come out again in two weeks on a weekend that Rick wouldn't be here.

I dropped her off at the airport on Sunday afternoon knowing that we were okay again, better than okay. "Bye Mom." She said smiling.

"I'm going to call." I said. "Call me too okay?"

She nodded with a slight tilt of her head.

"Be safe." I said.

"One month right?"

"I hope so." I had already been here for 8 weeks. I had another phase of testing and then I'd know where they wanted to place me and I'd make my decision.

As she walked away and disappeared through the security checkpoint I felt a tug in my chest. I worried just slightly when she left my sight. I realized that although I had cared, although I had already loved her, before this weekend, that moment she had called me mom, that she had chosen me was the moment I became a parent.

I didn't want to be away from her for a month and away from Rick.

When I got back to the apartment I video chatted him. "Rick?"

"Kate?"

He was probably wondering why I had called him in the evening.

"I just dropped off Alexis at the airport."

"Is everything okay?" He was trying to discern why I'd called through my expression.

I bit my lip. "She called me mom." I smiled.

"Who?"

I was a little worried he'd freak out, after all we were only engaged.

"Alexis." I said. "She called me mom." I repeated.

Rick just smiled, no comments, just acceptance.

"When are you coming to see me?" I asked.

Before Alexis had gotten there I had gotten used to their absence, now all I wanted to do was go home and Rick was the closest thing to home.

"I'll be there tomorrow if that's what you want?" He said.

"I know you have a chapter due."

"So? All distractions welcome!"

"This weekend." I said.

He nodded. "I'll be there."

"Then it will be three weeks." I said looking forward to it.

"I've been holding my breath Kate." He said sadly. "I still have 4 weeks left."

I had always thought of this as _my_ timetable until _my_ situation changed, but we were _all_ waiting it out. I didn't realize until now that Rick wasn't at home either. _He_ was my home and I was…his.

When I walked into work on Monday morning the team seemed to look at me differently. I felt different, but I still didn't like the attention I was getting.

It was like that odd feeling when I knew Rick was starring at me.

Taegan smiled. "When we got the security call and they said that your daughter was downstairs I imagined a little girl, at the oldest 10."

I smiled and didn't explain. I didn't want to correct her. I didn't want to think the phrase; _she isn't mine_, ever again.

"That's why you wanted to go back to New York."

I nodded.

"How could you leave?"

It hurt when she asked.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"We both had our reasons for leaving." I was referring to her boyfriend. "I want to go back, but I really wanted this."

"You used the past tense." She pointed it out.

I looked over at her. Before Castle I would have written that off as an accident, but the words we used meant a great deal and I wasn't going to ignore that ever again.

I managed to solve a major case that week. I was in a great mood and an even better mood when Rick finally got to DC for the weekend.

We were curled up on the couch watching a scary movie. I started to slowly drift off to sleep with my head rested against his chest. He was supposed to leave that night, but when I woke up he was holding me close and we were still on the couch.

He woke up with _me_ starring at him this time.

As he opened his eyes I realized I was waiting to see that bright blue hue. His starring seemed a little less creepy.

Rick pulled me closer. "This is the best possible way to wake up." He mumbled.

"I could think of a better way."

His eyes shot open.

"Coffee." I said enjoying the way his eyes bugged out at my comment.

He stuck out his lower lip in a pout at my teasing and got up to make us both a cup. As he put on the pot I looked at the clock on the coffee machine. It was blinking 12:00.

"What the hell?"

I checked the clock on the stove. It was the same. The power must have gone out. I dove for my phone to find out what time it was even though my watch was still around my wrist. "8:40!" I shouted. "I'll never make it."

"Go." He said understanding.

This had been so perfect. I was torn and he could see it in my eyes. He enjoyed the fact that leaving was so hard for me.

"I'll bring you the cup of coffee. You can make it if you hurry."

I changed my shirt and I grabbed my coat. I was half way out the door when I doubled back to the kitchen. "Forgot something." I said.

"What?" Rick asked.

I kissed him. "Love you."

I raced out the door before he could respond. I wish I could have seen his reaction.

I managed to run into the office right as the clock struck 9.

Taegan slow clapped. "A weekend with you baby daddy and you managed to make it into work on time. Congrats Kate!"

"He's not my _baby daddy_." I said. The words felt weird when I said them. "He's my fiancé."

"You say Tomato...I say _Tomato._"

I ignored her and I made sure to call down to security to tell them Rick was coming. They had been more willing to let a daughter see her mother than a fiancé, but I promised the guy Rick's autograph and he agreed.

He was escorted up here by the guard who looked pleased, probably because of the autograph Rick most likely had just signed. I was especially happy to see him. This felt right, him bringing me coffee at work.

He approached my desk and held up the coffee like he was the million-dollar man. He basically was.

I said, "I missed this so much." I looked into his eyes and then took a big swig of the coffee. "Nothing tastes as good as this."

He rolled his eyes.

Taegan visibly, but quietly laughed. "You're a tease!" She accused.

"At least someone is on my side." Castle said taking a step towards Taegan.

It was amazing having Rick there for the day. Taegan and him got along the way Ryan and him did. I felt a sad smiled stretch across my face.

I looked around the room searching for the boys, for the murder board, even the unwelcome footsteps of Gates. I had come out here because this was the next step in my career, the reason I did my job, but before the offer I had never thought of FBI, I was content at the precinct, with what I did. I had done my job because I enjoyed the victory of it, the closure I gave to others. I didn't get that as much here.

Maybe I was deciding too soon and I was just a rookie and didn't know the ropes yet. Castle's presence was probably bringing this on. I looked at him smiling and suddenly three weeks felt impossible.

I twisted the ring on my finger and smiled. He had said _whatever I decided_. I knew he'd be there no matter what; after all he was standing in an FBI office in DC when he should be writing.

_Some muse I had turned out to be?_


	14. Chapter 14 Assignment

I passed.

The 12 weeks were over. I had to schedule a meeting with the man who had hired me to let me know where they would find me most useful to the taskforce.

The test had been on a Wednesday and the interview/meeting/rest-of-my-life was scheduled for Friday afternoon.

When I walked in on Thursday, my official last day as an FBI Detective, McCord wanted to talk to me.

"I've been asked to make a recommendation for you."

"My placement?" I asked.

She nodded. "I want you stay on our team, both you and Taegan, here in DC, but I only want to make that recommendation if that's what you want."

I thought about it. I imagined telling McCord I wanted to stay and then I dreaded the way Rick and I would have to deal with more time a part. I was missing the lives of everyone I loved.

I loved the dynamic on this team. I had gotten to know everyone, but I missed my family more than I wanted to stay. I had finally admitted it to myself, but I hadn't said it out loud.

"If I'm being perfectly honest I don't think I could stay. You guys are great and DC is great, but I can't be away from my family any longer and they can't just pick up and join me in DC. I don't want to leave the team, but…"

She nodded. "Thanks for letting me know."

We managed to solve one more case before Taegan and I got ready to go.

The next morning we were both in the office we had originally interviewed in.

Taegan went in first and came out completely thrilled. "I'm still in DC. I don't have to pick up and move again."

I smiled happy for her. "That's great."

"Det. Beckett." They called.

I took a deep breath.

"Good luck." She said. I went in and the secretary closed the door.

The man stood up and shook my hand. He reached into a drawer and handed me my FBI badge. "Congratulations Agent Beckett."

I starred at it. "Thank you, sir."

He gestured for me to sit down.

I shook my head politely. "I don't think I could."

He nodded understanding. He remained standing as well.

"I got an interesting recommendation from your team."

"Interesting, sir?"

"They all expressed that they _wanted_ you stay, but_ recommended_ that you go."

I smiled at that.

"They were very specific too. New York, why would they say that?"

I looked down at my shoes and then looked him in the eyes. "My family is in New York."

He nodded. "I want you here in DC."

My heart felt like it was free falling and not in the good way.

Although I felt like I was spiraling from my disappointment my response was very calculated.

"I didn't come in with the intent on saying this sir, but if I can't go back to New York than I'm out."

His eyebrows rose considerably high. "Is that so?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice at that moment.

"I don't have a position for you in New York."

I nodded and went to hand him back the badge I had worked so hard for. These past 12 weeks felt like they'd been for nothing.

He didn't reach out to take it from me though. "Sir?"

"I would hope that you change your mind and take the position in DC. However, if that is your decision than I will offer you this. You can remain an active agent of the FBI, as a consultant. It's a waste of your talent, but would allow us to use you as a resource if you're willing to _visit _DC on occasion."

A slow smile spread across my face. It was impossible to remain serious even when I tried. "Are you sure?"

"You should probably go before I change my mind."

I nodded, "Thank you sir." I left without having to be asked again.

I was surprised I hadn't danced out of his office.

Taegan was still there when I came out. When she saw my expression she smiled with me. She knew I'd be leaving, but she was okay with that. I explained to her how I'd still be seeing her in the future and she cheered up considerably, nothing could get her down for long.

When we left the building we awkwardly turned towards each other unsure of how to say goodbye.

She was stunned when I went in for the hug. "Be seeing you."

She nodded and we parted ways getting into different cabs.

I'd get to go home, I was FBI, and I was engaged to the love of my life.

I had it all. As I was dialing Rick to tell him the good news my face fell slightly. _What was I going to do all day_? Rick would be writing and I'd_… _The FBI job would only be once in awhile.

I had a new task to accomplish. _I needed my old job back. _Facing everyone I left behind was going to be the hardest thing I ever had to do and I knew I had to.

It was time to make things right.

**A/N: "They are just getting started!" **


	15. Chapter 15 Family Dynamic

My lease on the apartment in DC was up in a few days.

With one call from Rick the place was packed up again and my stuff was headed for New York.

I was fortunate to have already booked a ticket. I had planned on going home that day regardless of what the FBI had decided. I was home by seven, just in time for dinner.

Rick had invited over my Dad and Alexis. Lanie showed up, but the boys didn't.

She hugged me when I walked through the door. "Girl, it has been way too long."

"Aren't you mad at me?" I asked. I hadn't really stayed in touch.

She rolled her eyes. "It's not worth it. I ain't gonna be mad at you, you can owe me latter."

Rick and I had talked briefly about telling people about the engagement, but Black Pawn had told us not to. They had even drawn up a contract that we were going to have to sign promising to keep our "Bad publicity" from the press until the book was released this summer. Until then I'd wear the more subtle ring on my right hand.

They would then plan a way to change Rick's image without hurting profits.

I couldn't care less about any of it right now; all I wanted was to be alone with Rick.

We said goodbye to everybody and Laney offered to take Alexis back to Columbia so she wouldn't have to catch a cab so late at night. Martha awkwardly watched us for a moment.

She came up to me and kissed me on the cheek. "Great to have you home darling." She smiled as she headed up to her room. "Beauty sleep, an essential to the female actress."

She knew we wanted to be alone, but I wasn't going to think about that right now.

The moment we heard her door shut and the room was quiet there wasn't even an inch separating the two of us.

When my eyes opened the next morning Rick was starring at me. His blue eyes gazing so intensely that I felt like they were reading my soul.

"Hi." He said smiling like an idiot.

He rolled onto his back and I wrapped my arms around him resting my head on his chest. After a few moments we were breathing in sync with one another. _He no longer had to hold his breath._

He took my hand and entangled his fingers with mine. "Never go anywhere without me again."

I looked up at him. "What would be the point?"

Even at home in our perfect world the moments couldn't last. Martha swung open the door. I sank lower in the bed and pulled the sheet over my head. My cheeks were no doubt scarlet with embarrassment.

Rick calmly pulled the sheet a little further up to cover us. This was very different from his reaction the first time Martha had walked in on us.

"What's she doing?" Martha asked calmly.

I peered out from under the sheet and looked over at her.

Rick shrugged.

Martha dismissed my very reasonable reaction with a wave of her hand. "I was wondering if either of you needed anything from the store?"

Rick shook his head laughing. "No Mother. We're good."

"Kate?" She asked smiling.

I shook my head. If I had spoken my voice would have cracked.

I sat up a little bit being careful to pull the sheet up around me feeling very uncomfortable.

Martha left. Rick got up and started to get dressed.

I got out of bed and pulled out a pair of my jeans and one of Rick's t-shirt from the drawers. Once I was dressed I turned around. He'd been starring again.

I sighed.  
"Sorry." He said smiling.

"No you're not."

"You're right I'm not." He came over and kissed me.

"She came in here." I said.

"We are going to be married, we don't have to put up pretenses and she does live here."

"I guess." I said, "but your mother walking in on us in the morning isn't fun."

He laughed. "I'll ask her to knock."

I could deal with that.

Rick was used to having nowhere to go during the day. I on the other hand didn't know what to do with myself.

Martha came back with the groceries. "Sorry I barged in on you guys this morning. I won't do it again. Just not used to this…situation."

I smiled.

"You had been living here before…_sort of_, but the two of you were always so careful."

She looked over and saw my beat red color.

"I did it again." She said simply feeling bad about making me feel awkward. She left the room sighing. "We will figure out how this Act goes."

Rick had been writing for a few hours. I had read one of my books that I'd left here and I'd barely been able to concentrate.

I walked into his office after watching several episodes of Nebula 9.

He looked up. "Can't take the constant lull of boringness that is my daily routine?"

I nodded. "How do you do it?" I asked sitting in one of his office chairs.

"I need distractions." He said. I smiled at the familiar line.

"I'm going to the precinct tomorrow."

This surprised Rick. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "We can't both hang around here all day. I need something to do."

"We have plenty to do." He came over and leaned in to kiss me.

I pressed my palm against his chest to stop him. If he kissed me I wouldn't finish saying what I had to say.

He leaned against his bookshelf slightly upset. "You just got back and now you want to leave."

I could tell he was very upset.

"I need something to do while you're writing. You love who I am and a part of who I am is a cop."

He nodded and then smiled. "What's the other part?" He asked coyly, no longer upset.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I said reverting back to our playful banter.

He still was expecting an answer.

"You."

As we made our way towards our bedroom we heard the door open. Alexis was standing there. She cleared her throat.

I sighed heavily and ran my fingers through my hair.

Rick was the one who looked uncomfortable this time.

"Should I go?" Alexis asked awkwardly.

I shook my head. "No."

"I should have called."

Rick was stunned. It was up to me to fix this.

"Alexis, you don't have to call. How about we go get dinner?"

She nodded; glad not to continue this conversation.

While we were leaving, Rick was standing slightly further away from me than usual.

Alexis took my hand and then Rick's and put them together. "Don't make me set up a parent trap. Seriously, we all need to get used to the new family dynamic. Right Mom?" She said grinning.

I nodded and Rick put his arm around Alexis and me and pulled us close. "Dinner with my girls!"

Alexis pulled out her phone. "Then I should invite Grams!"

Rick put up a hand to protest, but I stopped him and shook my head.

"You do love me!" Rick said at the prospect of dinner with Martha.

"I like Martha." I said. I did.

"You must _really_ love me."


	16. Chapter 16 The 12th Precinct

I got dressed in a nice blouse and a black skirt. Instead of my leather jacket, I put on my suit jacket and grabbed my black over coat. I put my FBI weapon on my belt and my badge in my pocket.

I slipped my ring on my right hand as a final touch. We had finally signed that contract with Black Pawn's lawyers promising no news so the ring would stay on my right hand in public.

"How do I look?"

Rick smiled at me and humored me. "You look _almost_ perfect. Good luck."

I scrunched up my eyes trying to figure out why he'd say that. My eyes fell on the ring.

"If it makes you feel any better, if we hadn't signed that contract, I'd be wearing the diamond ring right into the precinct happily." I kissed him on the cheek.

When I was in the elevator I was contemplating what she might say. I kept thinking that I should just turn around, go home, and email her. I knew though that Gates preferred mature and straightforward conversations. She'd consider the email as me admitting I was afraid.

I looked around for the boys. They must have been on a case.

I knocked on her door.

"Come in."

She didn't glance up as I walked in.

"What can I help you with?" She asked.

"Sir?"

I saw her shoulders tense at the sound of my voice.

"Beckett?" She looked at me as if I was a disgusting bug that had just crawled into her office.

"What are you doing here?"

I swallowed. My throat felt dry and small. I would basically have to admit that I should never have left.

"I was hoping that you had a position open at the precinct."

She starred at me completely confused. "You quit."

"I know, sir. I left the FBI and I was hoping to…"

"Hoping to just waltz back into my precinct and pick up where you left off."

I looked away for a moment. That's exactly what I was hoping even though I knew the boys basically hated me now.

"You were hired by the FBI." She said, not understanding why I was here.

I took a deep breath. "Sir, I left because the FBI offered me a position in Washington and I realized I didn't want to be anywhere but New York. I should never have left. I want to work here."

"That may be so Beckett, but we have filled your position." She shook her head still not understanding. "You turned down the FBI?"

"I am an active agent, but I'm not working full time. I'm a consultant for the task force."

"You're their Castle?" She asked. She noticed her mistake the moment she said it.

"If that means I'm a desired asset to their team who works part time, than yes?"

"Fill out an application and we'll see."

"Thank you, sir." I shook Gates' hand.

The fact that she hadn't turned me down outright made me think that I had a good chance. After all, my resume would be even better than before and I could bring to the table, federal resources and connections.

As I left the boys came in. There was a young cop with them holding a small tablet of paper.

I looked over at Gates through her window. She tried to avoid my eyes, but she saw my expression. _This is the cop that replaced me._

"What are you doing here?" Espo asked. His voice was hostile.

The rookie looked nervously between the two of us.

Ryan came in and closed his phone. "Dispatch said…" He spotted me.

"Beckett?" He smiled, but Espo was glaring at me.

"I was just leaving." I walked past but Ryan grabbed my arm.

"Wait! Maybe you could help us out!"

I looked over at Espo. The look in his eyes drove me away. "I'll go."

Ryan starred down Espo and he consented. "Fine, but I don't like it."

We stood there awkwardly in front of the murder board and Ryan started to explain the case they'd just caught.

"The body was found at a masquerade party."

My concern for my reception by the boys was set aside when I heard those words. This would have been a case Castle would have jumped at being included in.

He put up photos of the crime scene on the board and a photo of the victim. I went forward to examine the photograph.

"Do you realize what he's wearing?" I asked.

"Some kind of weird dress." Espo said.

"It's a shroud."

Ryan looked at me. "Why's that important?"

"This didn't happen to be an Edgar Allen Poe party did it?"

Ryan looked at Espo. "I told you we needed her."

"Shut up." Espo said to Ryan. "So what did we miss?" He asked.

"It's the Masquerade of the Red Death, Poe's short story."

The victim had been dressed in a red shroud with a red mask and red contacts. His face had been painted with red marks that turned out to be lipstick.

The boys brought in the person who had planned the event. Ryan and I went into the room for the interview. Esposito had refused to go in with me.

"Hi I'm Det. Ryan and this is…" He hesitated for a moment looking over at me.

"And I'm Agent Beckett. We need to ask you about what happened at your event."

The woman was nervously picking at her nails. "I don't know what happened. The point of the party was a tribute to Poe. I do admit it should have been done closer to Halloween, but some of our more passionate members were adamant on this weekend."

"Why this weekend?" Ryan asked.

"Someone thought they were being clever. Poe was born in 1809, so September 18th it had to be." She rolled her eyes. "We even had that dreadful clock from the story break up the party ever 3600 seconds."

"How long is that?" Ryan asked.

"An hour." I said smiling just slightly.

"Than why not just say an hour?" Ryan was confused.

"The man was a poet, Detective."

I pulled out a photo of the man that had died. "David Curren. How did you know him?"

"I didn't." She said simply.

"He's the victim. Was he hired or assigned to play the red death at the party?"

She shook her head. "We hired someone else, but…" She pointed at the photograph. "He did a marvelous job."

"Who did you actually hire?" Ryan asked getting frustrated with her.

"His name was Michael Curren, not David and he was a member of our…" She searched for the proper word.

"Obsession." Ryan offered up.

She glared at him. "Following, group, fandom." The words escaped quickly.

"What was Curren's job description at the party? Was he meant to mark the guests or were you going to end the party on a more cheerful note?"

She grinned over at me.

"A fan of Poe?" She asked me.

I shook my head. "I have a friend who is. He loves to talk about the stories."

I had read Poe in college, but Castle was the reason I actually knew the story.

"What do you know of it?" She asked.

I thought about answering her. It would probably improve our relationship with her since Ryan had already ticked her off. The boys hearing the story could help too.

"I know that the world is plagued by the red death. Prince Prospero wants to escape dying so he invites his friends to a masquerade party and they lock themselves away to avoid getting sick. Eventually though a guest, the red death, himself shows up and they all die."

She nodded. "But you must remember the different colored rooms and the ticking of the clock?"

I nodded and then I thought about it. "We need to have a list of all the aspects of the party and all the parts that everyone played in pulling it off."

She nodded. "I'll send them over. The whole thing was pulled off wonderfully."

Ryan gave her a dirty look.

"Except for the murder of course."

"One more question. Did anyone have anything against Michael Curren?"

"Edgar did."

Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Edgar Collins, the man who played Prospero."

I looked over at Ryan. "Thank you for coming in."

"No problem Agent Beckett." As she said it she walked out and gave Ryan a dirty look.

I smiled as he tried to figure out what was going on. Espo came around the corner laughing at his partner.

"Obsession." He laughed. "Nice going."

"We got our suspect." Ryan said a little embarrassed.

I smiled, for just a moment; everything was as it should be in the 12th precinct.

**A/N: Sorry I haven't posted in a while. My assignments have been complicated and many this week. Finally got to write! Sorry if you don't know the short story. I hope I explained it well enough. **


	17. Chapter 17 Time

Gates spotted the three of us laughing and called us into her office.

Once we were there she asked what was going on. "Why might I ask was Beckett in our interrogation room?"

Ryan was still pouting.

Surprisingly it was Esposito who spoke up for me.

"We needed her for this one Sir, we wouldn't be this far yet without her."

"Is that true?" She asked Ryan.

He nodded.

"Well, then I'll allow it." She consented. "What are you waiting for? Go catch a killer."

I nodded and she smiled as I walked out. "Don't make me regret this?"

We went to the address we got from the woman who had planned the event. It was the apartment of the infamous Prospero, Edgar Collins.

His apartment was extremely fancy. Tons of space, high ceilings, he definitely wasted a huge chunk of change on this place. He seemed to be his character in more ways than one. Prospero had used his money to throw a lavish party.

"Hi we're Agent Beckett and Det.'s Ryan and Esposito. Can we talk to you about the Masquerade Ball from last night?"

He nodded and showed us to his living room. "How may I help you?"

Esposito just came out with it. "Did you have anything against Curren?"

He looked at him appalled. "Certainly not. We both loved literature. He was trying to get his doctorate. I was helping him with his work." He blinked a great deal while he delivered this line. It was definitely a lie; anyone could have spotted it.

Ryan looked at me and back at Collins. "Which Curren?"

"Michael. Is there another?"

I looked over at him. "Whatever happened last night, it wasn't Michael who was behind the red mask; it was his brother David. Do you know why his brother would take his place?"

"Most of us thought it was Michael. He did look a bit different, but we just thought it was the costume."

"Why would the woman who planned the party…say that you had something against Michael?"

He smiled slightly. "We disagreed on how one should read Poe."

Ryan and Espo just looked confused.

"They're words. They only mean one thing." Espo said plainly.

Even I looked at him funny when he said this. "Don't tell Castle that."

Espo looked over at the expression on Collin's face and realized he had just done what Ryan had done earlier.

Ryan was grinning from ear to ear.

"Please excuse my partner. What did you mean?"

"Literal or allegorical. His insistence that it was just meant to be creepy was not a true understanding of what Poe was meaning to say. Especially the concept of time; how it stops the festivities every 3600 seconds, it brings us back to reality, not at midnight though, midnight is the witching hour. That wasn't meant to be a part of the ball, but it was a wonderful metaphor that they included."

We all just looked at him the way we did when Castle started ranting about grammar.

"Do you have a way that we can contact Michael?"

He nodded and pulled out his cell phone. He wrote down the address and phone number and handed it to me.

We got up to leave. As we were headed out the door he asked me a question. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help but overhear you. Did you say Castle? Richard _Edgar_ Castle?"

Ryan smiled and headed out the door. Espo lingered behind because I could tell he still thought this guy was creepy.

"Yes." I tucked my right hand into my jacket pocket. "He's a…" I hesitated and said, "_friend_ and a consultant for the NYPD."

"I haven't heard from him in a quite awhile. We miss his antics at our parties."

Espo got even more protective and started to pull me out the door.

"I'll let him know." I wondered if Rick had joined because he wanted to talk about Poe or if it was just for his image.

"Girl, you can't go talking to suspects like that. Besides that dude is creepy!" Espo was suddenly acting like he wasn't mad at me.

"He's not the guy."

"How do you know?"

I didn't really have an answer for him. I just had a good feeling about it.

Espo and I went to Michael's house to ask him some questions and hopefully figure out why he didn't go to the ball last night.

The door had been left ajar. We pulled our guns and went in warily. Michael was laid up against his coffee table. His eyes were wide open and his face was covered in blood, or what looked like it.

I looked over at Esposito and he called it in.

Lanie figured out that both of the boys had been poisoned and their deaths staged to appear like they'd died like the victims in the short story.

Lanie handed over her completed report from the first murder to the boys. I pulled it out of their hands and looked at it.

She started to explain. They both appear to be poisoned, no finger prints, but there was a substance like a grease around the injection sites on both victims. It looks like something you might use to oil a hinge or possibly a gun."

"But he wasn't shot." Espo said.

Lanie starred Javi down. In that moment looking at an angry Lanie I could only think of him as Javier.

When I looked down at the report in my hands I noticed something. "Lanie, he died at exactly 12 O' clock?"

"As near as I can tell."

I slowly smiled and the boys looked at me. "What are you thinking?"

"I know who the killer is."

"Who is it?"

"Whoever was in charge of that clock would have come into contact with the oil used to keep it ticking and according to Collins there was no chime at midnight."

Ryan went and got the list. "It says Sarah Robinson was in charge of it. That's probably why she mentioned how annoying the clock was. She was closest to it the whole time."

"She probably wanted the ball to be epic. Red Death dying would make the event go down in their twisted history." Espo said.

"Why'd she kill Michael though?"

"It doesn't make sense unless he knew something." I said stumped by the second murder.

"Old fashioned revenge." Espo said.

"What?" I asked.

Espo explained. "If somebody betrayed me…" He looked at me a little too long.

He was still angry.

"…and killed my brother…"He glanced at Ryan and he smiled. "I'd go after them, maybe the killer got the drop on him and just went with what they already had planned for the first murder."

I nodded. "Let's bring her in."

Espo and Ryan let me go in alone since they both thought they couldn't resist making fun of this woman's obsession with Poe. I was also the one who felt the most at home in the interrogation room.

Sarah smiled when she saw me. "Hello Agent Beckett."

"Hi, sorry about this, but I have a few more questions for you."

I let the silence sit for a moment between us.

"I heard from Edgar that you know Richard Castle."

I nodded. "I do. He's the reason I know about the short story your masquerade ball was based on."

"Yes, I thought so."

"Just out of curiosity. Who would you be if you cast yourself in the story?"

"The one who lives." She said.

"Red death?"

"Well, does he really live?" She asked trying to be analytical.

"Yes." I said simply. "The character is not of a body, but the disease lived to infect more people."

She scrunched up her eyebrows studying me. "Literal…disappointing. You can't see the inevitability of death and the trap that Prospero sets for himself." She smiled. "He was not smart enough to realize…"

"That he'd made a mistake." I finished. "What did the lack of chimes mean at midnight?"

"Hope." She said sighing. "Time is a constant reminder of reality, if for just a moment that stopped we'd be free." She was clearly uncomfortable in her seat.

"It's that clock that led us to the killer."

Her voice went up an octave. "Really?"

I smiled at her. "Prospero was convinced that it was an amazing metaphor, and at that moment during the party. Isn't that right?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yes, dying at midnight, and the party continues rather than stops with death. It began with it and everyone continued to be so very happy."

"And you guaranteed their happiness?"

"Yes." Her eyes went wide with shock that she said it, had admitted to it.

She asked for a lawyer, but by then it was too late.

When Gates congratulated us on solving the case she pulled me aside.

"This team is a good one and I'd be a fool to deny the city the benefits of you working together. Although that application isn't in yet, I'll reinstate you. I want you here tomorrow morning, Beckett. It's about time you came back"


	18. Chapter 18 The Dress

I turned my key in the door after completing a long and strenuous case. Castle had gone home earlier because he'd fallen asleep on my desk. He'd been trying to wait up while we finished the paperwork, which had been sweet, but he hadn't managed.

The loft was quiet and welcoming. Although I was exhausted I knew if I didn't quiet the growling of my stomach I wouldn't get any rest.

I found a take out box with a heart drawn on it and pulled it from the fridge. I smiled; Rick was perfect.

While I was heating up the food in the microwave Martha came down the stairs. "Why are you up at such a dreadful hour darling?"

"Good morning Martha." I tried to make it sound cheerful but I failed.

"Get some sleep."

I pulled the take out container out of the microwave and sat down at the island. She sat down across from me. "You need to get regular hours Kate."

"Why?" I said after swallowing my first bite. My head started to drift forward and I couldn't keep my eyes open.

"We'd all like to see you sometime Kate without you falling asleep mid sentence and mid meal."

I forced my eyes open. "Sorry Martha."

"It's perfectly alright, but you need some balance. Dates!"

"Dates?"

"You are engaged to my son, but he comes as a package deal."

"You mean Alexis."

She tilted her head and fluttered her hands. "Well, yes. And me of course."

I smiled. It would have been a laugh had I slept.

"Coffee with Alexis, shopping with me, date-night with Rick." She said pointedly.

I sighed. "You talked to them both."

She nodded and laughed. "I think I'm the one who's suffers the most." She smiled trying to make the conversation light especially due to the late/early hour. "I'm feeling terribly neglected Kate and besides we must take advantage of Richard's gold card."

"I have this weekend off."

"Wonderful." She headed back up the stairs. "Goodnight darling."

I finished some of the food and put the container back in the fridge. I barely managed to brush my teeth before I fell into bed. I think I fell asleep in the air before I made contact with the mattress.

I reached for Rick when I woke up, but he was no longer beside me. I looked over at the clock. It was 9 in the morning. I went into the kitchen. Martha was sitting at the island where she had been last night. She was dressed up though as if she were headed out.

Rick was flipping pancakes. Martha was waiting for the food. Maybe that's how it worked in this family, the child made breakfast.

I sat down. "Morning."

"What are you so happy about?" Rick asked in an odd tone.

"I finally got some sleep."

I was confused. Rick was pouting and Martha was happier than I'd seen her in a long time.

"Why'd you agree to go shopping with my mother?"

I looked over at Martha. "Did I?" I thought back to last night. I had told her I had the weekend off, but I hadn't agreed to this morning.

"You were half asleep, but you did agree." I tried to remember. Even if I hadn't said it there was no arguing with Martha. "I'll wait for you to get ready."

I walked out of the room feeling like I'd been banished. I took a shower and got dressed. I was dressed a little bit down in comparison to Martha, but I didn't quite understand what she meant by shopping.

When I'd finally gotten to eat something I said sorry to Rick once again. "As long as you don't start to like shopping more than you like shooting we won't have a problem."

"I'm not crazy." I said.

He puffed out his lip. "I wanted to spend time with you today."

"I think Martha feels left out."

"I don't want you spending too much time with my mother."

Martha came up behind me and literally separated the two of us. "I heard that kiddo."

Rick made the _I'm in trouble _expression and scurried off to his office to write.

When we got downstairs there was a cab waiting for us. Martha gave the address to the driver. I didn't recognize it.

When we got out Lanie, Maddie, and Alexis were standing outside a wedding boutique.

"What's going on?" I tried not to show how panicked I was.

Martha sighed. "That silly contract has gone to your head Kate. You can't tell people, but I can."

When we went inside the man at the front smiled brightly. "Which one of you is the bride?"

It felt so odd to have everyone point in my direction.

The girls started to pull different dresses off the racks for me to try on. I just sort of stood there letting the scene unfold. I was still in shock at how easily Martha had gotten me out of the house and had everything set up.

Lanie came over. "Are you alright honey?"

I nodded. I was trying to be happy. I loved Rick and I wanted to find the perfect dress. I had thought about my wedding day like anybody, but it had always included my mom.

She could tell I was thinking about other things.

"Spill."

"Lanie, I just wish my mom was here."

She looked as if she was considering what to say. "I know Kate. Look, it doesn't make it better, but you have someone you never imagined would be here."

She looked over to where Alexis and Martha were arguing about whether or not to pick one of the dresses.

"Your daughter." She said grinning knowingly. "I heard her call you mom."

I smiled.

"That's better. Now go pick some dresses _you_ might actually like."

I had noticed that many of the dresses that they had chosen reflected their styles, not mine. I started to pull a few simple dresses off the racks and handed them to the woman helping us out.

We were shown to the dressing room where there were large mirrors and places for everyone to sit and admire the dresses. I went in and the salesgirl helped me get into the first of the dresses.

I hoped this would be quick. I wanted to find the dress, but I didn't want to go on more than one shopping spree. Like I'd told Rick I was a _one and done_ kind of girl.

When I came out there were a few comments about it being wonderful. A few of them were clearly rejected from first glance.

Some had strange flowers at the waist or they were missing something. The woman brought out accessories in response to each comment that the girls made to fix the problems. Nothing seemed to be _it_ though. They all fit strangely or were too low cut. We found one that was beautiful and comfortable. It was loose and looked like silk, but _it didn't cling in the right places_ according to Lanie. She said it would be perfect if we were hiding _something_.

This particular comment made me completely dismiss the idea of anything that fit loosely.

We had gotten down to two dresses that I had yet to try on and I was ready to call it quits. I was too tired of this. I came out and they loved it. I stood up on the block in front of the mirrors. It was gorgeous. It clung tightly around my waist and was pinched and released into a bell around the bottom.

"We might have to agree that this is the dress." Martha said pleased with herself. She had pulled it off the rack.

Maddie nodded in agreement.

Alexis looked a little unsure. "We can't decide too soon. Try on the last one Mom."

I let Lanie take photos of me in this dress so I could see my options side by side once I was done.

I got into the next dress. No one said anything when I came out this time. I figured they didn't like it, but when I stepped up on the block I was speechless.

The dress was strapless with a subtle heart shape cut and beading along the waist. From there the dress went down loosely and wrapped tightly around my left side emphasizing the curve of my hip. I turned around to look at the back and saw that the pleating was perfectly set to my shape. The whole thing was perfect.

Martha stood up and put her hand over her heart. "Breathtaking."

They all smiled in agreement.

I had promised Rick that I would never enjoy shopping more than shooting, but this moment was amazing. It was worth every minute and all the fuss.

"This is it." I said. I was lost in my thoughts for a moment, of the wedding day and Rick and how lucky I was.

They all celebrated. "How about we all get lunch?" Maddie said. "Q3 on me."


	19. Chapter 19 Not Into Details

I headed into the morgue because Lanie had called. "How are you going to do your hair?"

"What?" She had completely taken me by surprise, but not as much as it took Castle by surprise.

"Your wedding?" She said exasperated with me. "You are having one aren't you?"

"Lanie keep your voice down." There were a few other people who worked here that could let it slip to the wrong person that we were engaged.

"You are not waiting a whole year to get married, are you?"

I didn't say anything.

"We can't very well invite everyone to a wedding that no one is supposed to know about." He said.

I looked over at Castle. I thought he wouldn't want to wait. I certainly didn't want to wait a whole year. I wasn't eager to plan anything, but I wanted to be married to him and soon.

"We can get married before, we just don't say anything. The publicity won't be a problem."

"I thought you'd want to wait." He said.

"Why?" I really didn't understand. "I said yes."

Lanie excused herself. "I'm going to let you guys talk."

"You usually stall when it comes to big steps Kate."

I needed to assure him this is what I wanted. "I know I left and that probably made you think I was pulling away, but…" I needed to find the right words. "I just had to see where that path led. I didn't want to have to choose between you and my career. I wanted to choose you, but I knew if I had I would have been upset with you and myself for not going."

"I know. It's not that Kate." He smiled. "When you first got back I was worried, but you chose your wedding dress. You wouldn't have done that if you weren't sure. I thought you'd want the big white wedding. We can't do that if we get married before the contract is up."

"You are the sweetest person alive." I said wrapping my arms around his neck. "I must be horrible in comparison."

He shook his head. "Coffee needs cream _and_ sugar Kate, at least for it to suit _my _taste."

"I don't need a big wedding. I just need those we're closest to. I especially don't want the press to know anything about it. I thought about waiting, but Black Pawn is going to want us to make a statement and announce everything right after the book. You'll be back on the public watch and we'll be the next big news."

He gritted his teeth. "That would be horrible." Although Rick liked attention he didn't like it when other people in his family were in the news being criticized.

"This way we're not the hottest gossip and we're just a story."

Rick kissed me. "We are anything but _just_ a story."

"Soon?" I said.

"Soon." He said.

I kissed him back.

Laney walked in. "People this is a morgue!"

We looked over to our right and remembered where we were.

Laney came back over to explain mumbling. "Keep it down Laney." She mocked. "And here the two of you are sucking the faces off one another."

"Laney!" We both said at the same time.

She started to explain cause of death.

Later that week Laney showed up at the precinct to explain the details on another case. Only that wasn't why she was there. "When and where, girl? I have some great ideas…"

"What ideas?" Espo asked.

Ryan followed close behind him. "Hi Laney."

Espo smiled at her a little too much.

"You're together!" I accused.

Espo was mad. "You told her…I can't believe you…"

"I didn't tell her." Laney protested. "You did."

Ryan started to pout. He turned on Espo. "You didn't tell me!"

"Bro, I thought we were keeping this under the table."

Ryan suddenly stopped pouting. He smiled at Espo. "Congrats, besides I promised Laney I wouldn't say anything two weeks ago."

Laney grabbed my arm and I grabbed my jacket and she pulled me out of the room for what she called ultimate planning.

After a series of lengthy questions and details I was fed up. Either we couldn't do something because of the contract or it just didn't fit.

I stormed out of the restaurant we had been in. Laney followed me out. "Girl, a lot goes into a wedding."

"Then plan it with Castle." I said frustrated.

"Dam girl, you really must not like this to call him Castle." Laney had figured out how my mood affected what I called Rick.

She sighed. "Do you really want me to do that?" She was serious. "I mean. He's definitely not a groom that would be NID."

"What?"

"Not into details."

It was settled after one conversation with Rick. Laney and Rick would plan the wedding; I'm sure with the helpful hand of Alexis when she could spare the time.

I always thought about that day and how it would be perfect, I never thought about the stress of planning it. I didn't want to pick out colors and table clothes and the food we'd eat. I just wanted to marry Rick. Why did all of these microscopic details matter?

I'm a detective. How am I not into the details?

I love Rick and our family. Those were all the details I needed.


	20. Chapter 20 Hitched

They blindfolded me. I'm not joking.

I took the day off from work; I called in sick like this was just any other day. This was not just any other day. I didn't know when or where, but I did know that this was my wedding day.

Martha had let Lanie in and Alexis had been there getting ready. The three of them managed to blindfold me and get me into the car. "We're kidnapping you Mom, but don't worry!"

I smiled. This shouldn't have been that funny, but I was so jittery that it was.

I was sitting in the front seat of what I knew was my car. I could tell based on the voices that Lanie was driving.

Martha had wanted to _get behind the wheel_, but with some protests from Alexis she settled into the back seat.

I tried to keep track of the turns we made and the time we were in the car, but they turned on music and continued to talk so that I couldn't keep my attention focused on where we were going.

I had a feeling that they were driving me in circles anyway to fool me just incase I managed to figure it out.

We pulled up and it was extremely quiet. We hadn't been in the car very long. I thought we'd be headed out to the Hamptons, but there was no way we'd gone that far.

"Can I take off the blindfold?" I lifted my hand towards the small piece of black cloth.

Lanie swatted my hand back down. "Sorry. No."

I heard Alexis giggle. She whispered to Martha. "I knew she wouldn't like this."

"I'm blind not deaf Alexis."

"Sorry Mom." She was still giggling though.

We went up a ton of steps. I held tight to Alexis' arm as we headed up. I could hear a slight echo of our footsteps as we walked.

They took me into a room and took off the blindfold. It was a cramped office that had been crammed with mirrors and racks for the dresses. Maddie was already there in her purple bridesmaid dress.

They all got dressed and did their hair and makeup and then turned on me. Martha did my hair and Lanie did my makeup.

Martha curled my hair and pinned it up allowing a few curls to trickle loosely to frame my face.

My makeup was light and subtle and just managed to make my eyes pop.

When I was done and I was admiring my reflection my dad came in.

"Beautiful."

The girls left. "No crying." Lanie commanded.

I nodded, but I made no guarantees.

"Your Mom would have loved to see you today. She would have loved Rick."

I smiled, trying not to cry. My dad wasn't helping me avoid that. My mother was the last thing I wanted to talk about right now. I think it was the reason why the details were so hard to talk about. My mom would have been there with me every step of the way.

"He would have driven her crazy."

"Eventually she'd _learn_ to love him." He added. "She learned to love me. I'm not the easiest person to get a long with, just like you learned to love Rick."

"I always loved him, it just took me too long to admit it."

He came over and kissed me on the cheek and took my arm in his. I'm sure that he noticed that I was shaking because he held my arm tighter.

There was a knock at the door and my dad led me out on cue.

We left and I could barely convince myself to look around. He led me down a dark hallway. I noticed that there was still an echo and the ceilings were extremely high.

A light music started and the girls went up the aisle. My dad led me out and into the room in the library where I had arrested Rick for the first time. The room was low lit with sparkling lights and candles. Flower petals were cast about to create the aisle since there weren't rows of guests.

My eyes fell on Rick and the glint of his eyes. Suddenly I was still. My nerves were gone and all I could see was him.

My dad's arm was now the one that seemed shaky. He held so tight to me, not because I had been nervous, but because he was. I looked over at him as he released my hand. His eyes were moist. He was crying. There were so few times that I had seen Dad cry.

It took him a moment to let go. When he did I slowly looked up at Rick. The library was filled with the shelves of books in the background. The foreground was lit with the perfect romantic glow. We turned to look at the man who was conducting the ceremony but eventually Rick and I weren't listening. We were starring at one another.

He turned to look at me. "And now for the vows."

Rick and I hadn't written our vows. We'd talked about it once and I made him promise not to write them.

I swallowed and then smiled. "I wish I could say I knew the moment I met you, but you were infuriating. You were always there, but you stole my heart a little piece at a time…when you kissed me to distract me from the fact that you stole evidence, when you followed me out to LA, when you said Kate instead of Vira because you were imagining that they were us, there are so many more, but through it all you waited for me to finally admit how I felt and each day you brought me that cup of coffee. I love you because you are always there. All I want is for you to try to make me smile like that everyday; continue to steal my heart."

He turned to Rick. "You are my inspiration. You're my muse. Writers, we fall in love with those people that we find inspiring, but I fell much farther than that Kate. You were the mystery I needed to solve. The way you ponder the details and connect the dots is beautiful. The further I went into finding out what made you tick the more I loved you for your dedication, your compassion, your secrets, which you've shared with me. When you kept me around I knew you were it. As inappropriate as I was, as childish, and bothersome as I could be I knew that if you kept me around I'd be okay. When people asked if we were together and I said _Not yet_, thank you for making it the truth. You are my dream Kate, and you have made my dream come true. After all, my dreams do come true."

The man conducting the ceremony said, "Now for the giving and receiving of the rings. Dad handed Rick's to me and Martha handed mine to Rick.

Alexis moved between the two of us and smiled so brightly.

As I slipped the ring on Rick's finger I was…there wasn't a word to describe the level of happiness that I reached.

Rick slipped the ring on my finger. I had been wearing the ring for so long now that it just felt right.

We didn't even hear him say, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

We were already kissing.

When we pulled away and looked around at our guests I noticed something heavy on my wrist.

I looked down at my hand and lifted it up tugging Rick's up with mine. We were handcuffed together.

Alexis was standing there looking very proud of herself.

"Hitched together for life." She said grinning.

"It's about time." Martha said.


	21. Chapter 21 Unanswered Questions

**A/N: Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Midterms. The show starting up again also distracted me from **_**my**_** story. Hope you guys enjoy!**

Since our wedding was a secret we took the weekend off and stayed in the Hamptons. It wasn't much of a honeymoon especially since we both had to work. Rick promised me that we would go to Europe after the book was released and we were no longer under contract. I didn't need Europe to feel like I was on vacation.

Just looking into his eyes was enough to take me far away. It was one of the qualities I loved about him. No matter what was going on he could tell a tale so real that even I could be caught believing it were true.

We were cuddled up on the couch. There was no music or television, not even the distraction of tea or coffee. We were just holding one another close.

Our bags were sitting by the door. We had planned on driving back to the city several hours ago, but we hadn't the will power to leave just yet.

I looked up at Rick's sad expression.

I got up and pulled him to his feet. I took a couple steps toward the door having already decided what to do to cheer him up.

I turned and headed towards the bedroom smiling. "I'll call in sick."

I left the room leaving him grinning gleefully.

"You coming?"

Before I had finished the sentence he was in the room.

When we finally made it back to the city I was disappointed to have gotten called into work the moment my bags hit the living room floor.

Martha had made herself scarce by imposing on her closest friends for the next few weeks. Although Martha clearly expressed she was not moving out she told us it was not right to have a mother around for the honeymoon even if we weren't going away for one.

Rick and I made our way to the crime scene separately. It may be my imagination, but it was so much harder than it had been before to part ways even though our destination was the same.

The boys were none the wiser. Lanie spotted me and gave me the _We have to talk Later_ look. I knew she wanted every detail from the weekend with Rick, but she'd only hear about, maybe, half of it. After all he was my husband. The thought made my heart jump.

Ryan came up beside me. His shirt collar was tilted upwards and his tie was knotted like you would tie shoelaces and his shirt looked as if he'd slept in it.

"You look like hell." I said.

Espo smiled and playfully punched Ryan's arm. He didn't even flinch.

"He has had to go to the hospital with Jenny like five times this week for false alarms. The baby is due any day now."

Ryan just nodded and he continued to do so for much too long.

I smiled at the sad state that Ryan was in and turned to Lanie just as Castle showed up behind me.

He nudged my side so softly with the edge of his hand and I took the coffee he had extended towards me. I made sure to brush my fingers against his as I took it and he smiled knowing that this exchange was actually _I Love You. _

My attention was split as Lanie described the condition of the body. Castle kept glancing over at me smiling sweetly. I kept running the edge of my thumb over the place where my ring should have been. I was already missing the feel of it against my skin.

"So he was strangled?" Espo asked.

Lanie rolled her eyes. "I said the eyes indicate that, but it could have been a few other things that sealed his airway."

He nodded.

"Any identification?" Ryan asked. His exhaustion was so evident. He shouldn't even be at work.

Espo shook his head. "Their combing the area for any of his belonging but it looks like they're gone."

"What's wrong with Beckett?" Ryan asked Castle, eyeing me oddly.

I looked around innocently. I hadn't done anything to indicate anything had changed. "Nothing's wrong with me." I protested. "I'm fine."

Espo looked over at me. "Something's different."

I looked to Lanie for help, but she was smiling.

Castle jumped in, only not to my _rescue_. "There is something different. What did you do Beckett?"

I glared at him. "Shut up." I said firmly.

He smiled.

In an odd way his teasing had helped the situation and detracted from the curious looks the boys were giving me. Somehow Castle had stolen the attention away from me. I was grateful for it.

When we got to the precinct we eventually identified the victim as a Mitcham Attler, a partner for an accounting firm. Castle and I looked into his work life but nothing stood out. I sent the boys to his house to see if the family life seemed suspicious.

We got back to the precinct before the boys. Castle started to spin in circles in Ryan's chair. He rearranged the items on Espo's desk and changed computer passwords. He was a trickster at heart.

He saw me starring. "Regretting _it_ yet?" He asked from across the room. No one paid him, or his question, any attention.

"Just the opposite." I said. His boyish happiness added a level of fun to my life that I desperately needed. Now I had it forever. This realization overwhelmed me for a moment as he made his way over to his chair next to my desk.

He sat down and picked up my nameplate. "Are you going to change your name?"

The question took me by surprise. "I hadn't thought about it."

"We haven't talked about a lot of things, but I thought…" He seemed pretty neutral on the subject, but he was always like that when he knew I might have a passionate reaction to something.

"I might." I said flashing him a very playful smile.

Just then the boys came in with the wife in tow. She had voluntarily come in for questioning. That was always a good sign, but never a guarantee that the spouse wasn't involved.

Espo and I went in to ask her the typical questions.

Castle was all too happy to stay outside and talk with Ryan.

The wife seemed to pass in my opinion, she seemed genuinely upset that her husband was dead, but there was something off.

We left her in the room just in case we had more questions. I went back in without consulting the team.

"Hi, Mrs. Attler. You seem upset, but there was something about the way you reacted that just didn't sit right with me." I sighed. "If I lost _my_ husband I would be devastated and in shock. You don't seem surprised."

She tried to avoid eye contact. "He gambled away everything and we couldn't pay anyone back. The water was turned off this morning and the electricity a few days ago."

"Why didn't you leave him?"

"I love him. Money wouldn't have come between us, but it definitely made things more difficult."

I nodded knowing what she meant. No matter how much money we had or we lost I would never leave Rick.

"Do you know who he owed?"

She nodded and bit her lip unsure of whether to speak.

"We'll make sure that you'll get protection if that's what you're worried about."

She nodded. "Titan Dawn."

I heard a groan from behind the mirror. It was Espo.

I had run into this particular bookie a long time ago and couldn't catch him. I couldn't go with them because he had refused to talk to me ever again.

Castle wanted to go with the boys. He wouldn't ask though. As they were leaving I just said "Go."

"You don't mind?"

"Tell Titan, Athena sends her regards. You'll love the look on his face."

Castle grinned deviously and I knew he'd tell Titan.

Gates found out about Titan and took me off the case. I knew it was best. I sat there hoping for another case to keep me busy, but no such luck.

My mind started reeling with all the questions that Rick and I hadn't talked about yet. We hadn't taken our relationship too fast, so why hadn't we asked each other these questions before.

Would I change my name to Castle? Would we stay at the loft? I hadn't had any inclination to move. There was one question I was worried about that I hoped he wouldn't bring up any time soon. I couldn't even think about it in complete sentences, the subject was currently unreachable.

"Kate?"

I looked up. Jenny was standing there. One hand rested on her swollen belly. She looked tired, but peaceful in an odd way.

"Where's Ryan?"

"I sent him to…" I trailed off as I saw her make a pretty terrible expression. "Jenny, are you…"

"Call Ryan." She commanded quickly.

I immediately picked up the phone and dialed all three of the boys, but none of them picked up the phone.

I called Ryan one more time and left a message. "Jenny's in labor. I'm taking her to the hospital. Meet us there."

I wrapped my arm around Jenny and started leading her towards the elevator.

"Kate, you don't have to…" She pressed her hand against her stomach at the start of the contraction.

"Yes I do."


	22. Chapter 22 Baby Ryan

As we drove to the hospital Jenny remained relatively calm despite the pained expressions she made when having a contraction. When Jenny and I came in they immediately pulled up a wheelchair for her.

There was a nurse holding a clipboard, which she extended towards me. Jenny reached up for it taking a deep breath. "That would have been a good job for Kevin."

They pushed her over to sit in the waiting room as she filled out the forms. I protested with the nurse who had handed over the paperwork. "You can't just let her sit out here!"

"I'm sorry, but it's protocol."

I starred her down, but she didn't even flinch and walked away to deal with a patient who actually needed her attention.

Jenny finished with the paperwork and I handed it in. They started to push her away down the hall and I moved towards the waiting room.

"You're not coming?" Her calm exterior folded in on itself for a moment and she looked scared.

The male nurse who had a hold of the back of her chair smiled. "As long as you're family it's okay." He winked.

I looked at Jenny's face and I couldn't leave her without Ryan. The second he got here I'd leave her with him. "I'm her sister."

He smiled. "Right this way."

Jenny was helped into a gown and into bed and hooked up to the monitor.

"I'm sorry Kate." She said gritting her teeth.

"Why are you sorry?" I took a step towards the bed.

"You shouldn't have to be here."

"You do have one thing right. Kevin should be here, but I'm more than their partner, I'm their friend and I'm here when they can't be." She looked sad at the thought of Ryan. "Especially if you want to complain about Kevin."

She smiled.

Her contractions were getting closer together. The doctors came in and said it wouldn't be long.

I stepped into the hall and called all three boys like ten times each. Now I was worried for their safety.

It was basically against the principles of our team, but I called Gates. She told me she'd send someone to look for them.

I got a call from one of the uniforms telling me they weren't anywhere near where they'd say they'd be.

I went back in to see Jenny. She looked expectantly at me for news of Ryan, but I shook my head. Her face registered this for a moment before she flinched again.

She held out her hand for mine. I took it. "Don't worry. He'll be here. Rick would kill him if he missed it."

She smiled and then grasped my right hand so tight I cried out. The ring was pinching painfully against my other fingers.

"Sorry." She said through a gasp.

I decided to try to distract her. "Alexis calls me mom now."

That worked! The grip on my hand loosened.

"What?"

I nodded. "When I was in DC she came down and told me she'd chosen me."

"That's sweet."

I smiled awkwardly. "I thought Rick would be surprised, but he wasn't."

She tightened her grip on my hand. When her grip loosened I took the ring off my finger and put it where it belonged.

This was unintentionally revealing and was a pretty good distraction for Jenny. "When are you getting married?" She asked.

I didn't say anything.

"Come on, tell me." She pleaded.

"Legally I can't. Black Pawn forbids us from letting anyone know…" I thought about how to word the next phrase. "…what our relationship status is."

"Disappointing." She said.

We remained in silence for a few minutes.

"Are you going to have kids?"

I found myself holding my breath.

"I'm too blunt." She cringed. "You're already married huh?" She asked quickly.

I smiled happily before I could stop myself.

"I knew it. You seem different Kate, in a good way…happy."

The doctor came in. "We're going to move you to delivery Jenny, okay?"

She nodded.

"Don't tell anyone." I said quickly, "Not yet. We have a lot to talk about."

She smiled. "It was recent."

I mentally was hitting myself for revealing that detail.

Ryan rushed into the room just as they were moving her out of the room. His attention was so focused on Jenny that I didn't bother to ask him where Rick and Espo were, but I had a pretty good idea.

I went out to the waiting room. Rick wrapped his arms around me. "They took our phones. They wouldn't talk to us if we had them."

Espo watched us, making the face of a little boy afraid of cooties. Laney showed up just then and Espo pulled her close to him. "Did Jenny have the baby yet?"

Espo shook his head although he hadn't been told anything.

Laney turned on me. "Girl, why didn't you call me?"

I shrugged and pulled out of Rick's hug.

Laney came up to me and kissed my cheek and whispered. "Your ring."

I slipped my hands behind my back and switched the ring back to the other hand. Crisis averted.

I smiled to thank Laney. She understood.

Ryan came out. "It's a girl."

Espo hugged him. Rick shook his hand and patted him on the back. I hugged him and Laney celebrated.

"When can we see her?"

"Come on." He said and led us up a few different hallways. It was a little confusing, but Ryan didn't seem to need to look around to find his way. He led us to a glass window and pointed to a little girl wrapped in a light pink blanket. Ryan, Amber was written on her bassinette.

They all pressed their faces to the glass to get a better look at Amber.

Rick pulled himself out of it and looked over at me. Instead of saying what I knew was on his mind he waited. He always waited for me.

He beckoned me closer so I could get a good look at Amber. When I looked down at her she wiggled her fingers and I smiled. Ryan and Jenny were so lucky to have this beautiful little girl.


	23. Chapter 23 The Boyfriend

Rick had chapters to complete and Ryan had taken paternity leave so it was just Espo and I at the precinct for a while. At first there was nothing to do but paperwork and complain about our _significant others_ being gone.

We caught a case that took us to a small Chinese restaurant. Someone had found a body in a dark alley early that morning.

"Cliché" Espo said loudly.

I hushed him. "Behave." I said.

He raised his eyebrows at me. The look said, _I'm not Castle_. He folded his arms as if to say that he was mature. He wasn't fooling me.

We went into the restaurant and out the back door to the alley. The reason the restaurant was involved was because they had found blood in their kitchen leading to the dumpster out back.

I asked one of the uniforms, "What do we got?"

Laney answered. "Hi to you too." She said pointedly.

I hadn't noticed her right away. I had been really distracted lately.

Espo bobbed his head towards Laney. It was _What's up girl?_

She rolled her eyes at his attempts to be cool and turned her attention back on me.

"You can't get anything past me?"

That seemed to be Laney's catch phrase lately.

"No Castle, no coffee, equals an extremely cranky detective."

I sighed, "Good morning Laney."

"Umhuh" She said sassily. "I don't even know where to start with this one."

I smiled, thankful that Laney hadn't asked me why I was off today. I turned my attention towards the facts, going into work mode. "How come?"

"This man has been shot, stabbed, beaten and electrocuted. I'll have to get him back to the morgue to get a better idea, but the lab techs found trace and fingerprints on the body from what looks like at least four different people, so far." She bent back over to examine the body. "He may have been frozen too."

"This is definitely Castle worthy."

Once we got back to the precinct there were no leads. Forensics would get back to us when they were done, but by the looks of that crime scene, excluding the evidence that might have been in the bin, it would be a while.

Esposito picked up his phone once he sat down at his desk.

"Don't even think about it!" I said, playfully putting my hand to my gun.

"…but?"

"If you call him and wake up that baby I wont have to shoot you, he'll come down here and do it himself." I smiled.

He put down the receiver.

"_Text_ your boyfriend, Espo." I said smiling at one of the other cops that just walked by laughing.

I pulled out my phone and was about to press the dial tone when Espo got up from his chair and swiped it from me. "Let's see who Beckett's calling?"

He looked down at the screen and saw Rick's name.

"Leave your boyfriend alone and let him write us all into history."

I rolled my eyes and held my hand out for the phone. As I went to grab it, it rang and a picture of Alexis showed up.

Espo answered it before I could stop him. His eyes lit up at whatever Alexis had just said. I took the phone from him as he grinned massively.

"Mom?" He said. He looked like he was about to die with laughter.

"Hi Alexis, What's up?"

"What are _you_ up to?" She asked awkwardly.

"Why?"

"I was hoping I could see you." She said it so happily.

"How about coffee tomorrow? I made plans with your Dad for tonight."

Espo pointed towards the elevator.

I turned around and Alexis was standing there with a friend, and it wasn't a girl. She waved and mouthed the word _sorry_.

"You have got to stop doing that." I said, into the phone. We hung up.

"Why? I know you love it."

She gave me a large hug.

"This is my boyfriend David. I told you about him in D.C."

In D.C. he had been an idea, a cute and adorable kid, but this guy was not a kid. I had also been more of a friend to Alexis than a mother. I was still getting used to this.

He extended his hand.

I examined it for a moment knowing that waiting would freak him out a little bit. I finally took his hand and said, "It's nice to meet you."

I could tell that Alexis thought this would go easier. Espo didn't help.

He laughed darkly. "Just know that this girl has an entire precinct to protect her. Remember that if you decide to break her heart."

"I don't plan on…"

Alexis placed her hand on his arm to quiet him.

I turned on Espo. "Javi, stop it!"

"I'm just telling it like it is."

He took a couple steps towards his desk, but he was still listening. We didn't have anything better to do.

"I was hoping that you could show David around. He was interested in knowing how all this works. He wanted to meet Dad too."

"A writer?" I said shaking my head.

"You…" She started.

"I know, but…"

"It's not different." She said adamantly.

"That's what I'm worried about." I sighed. I was afraid she'd rush into things and I couldn't raise any objections. I remembered how that went with my mother. She'd be on the back of a motorcycle in ten seconds.

David turned to Esposito. "Do you have any idea what they are talking about?"

"Bro, get used to it. They're just like that."

Alexis and I shared a smile.

"So?" She asked.

"Fine, we're waiting on forensics anyway. We got time."

"We?" Espo asked.

"We." I said again.


	24. Chapter 24 The Perfect Murder

We gave David the luxury tour, which meant it ended at Rick's espresso machine. While we sat in the break room sipping coffee Espo came in with a stack of papers. "This is only half of what Laney sent me." He sounded overwhelmed and he looked like he'd tried to read it.

"Let's go to the morgue and see what she can tell us."

"No." I said to Alexis before she could ask to come with us.

She smiled the way Castle did when she knew I couldn't say no to what he was about to say. "If you don't take us with you then we'll go home and have Dad entertain us."

If he didn't finish his chapters we couldn't go out tonight. "Is this blackmail?"

Alexis nodded.

"You owe me one." I said to Alexis.

She nodded. "No problem."

Alexis had included me in on a system that her and Martha had going. They let Rick think that he had the upper hand. Essentially, we called upon the others to back up our opinions, keep our secrets, or simply distract Rick whenever we needed. It was now three against one.

When we got to the morgue Laney hugged Alexis. "Girl, why haven't you come to visit me?"

"I didn't know if you wanted me around after my internship was up."

"Girl, you are always welcome."

"Thanks Aunt Laney."

"You hear that?" She said to me happily.

I wondered if Ryan knew because Jenny had found it. I knew Espo had to suspect at this point.

"Does that make me Uncle Javi?" He really did seem jealous.

"Do you want to be?" Laney asked.

That was a loaded question and we all watched the awkwardness play across their faces.

David cleared his throat.

"Who's this handsome guy?" Laney asked smiling.

"This is my boyfriend David."

Laney shook his hand quickly. "Nice to meet you."

She pushed open the door into the morgue and we all followed.

"All of you coming?"

I nodded.

"So like I said at the crime scene, it's hard to say what actually killed this guy." Laney started describing what type of gun had been used and what type of knife and that the killer must have been wearing brass knuckles during the beating based on the bruise patterns. When she got to the part about time of death being hard to place because the body had been frozen David started hyperventilating.

"What's wrong with you kid?" Espo asked laughing slightly thinking the kid was just freaked out.

David whispered something to Alexis and she turned pale. He fainted and she turned to look at me while Laney checked on him.

"What did he say?"

"I wrote it."

We both looked over at the body.

When David finally came to I handed him a bottle of water and went into interview mode. "What do you mean you wrote it?"

"I got this email about a writing contest for the perfect murder."

Alexis looked scared, "You didn't?"

He nodded. "People always make the perfect murder, one with no body and no murder weapon, no crime to be proved."

I nodded. "Yeah, that makes things harder."

"I thought that the best way to commit the perfect murder was to create reasonable doubt by having too many suspects, a wide range for time of death, and making it impossible to pin down the weapon. Then, even if you find the person who did it, they'd never be able to prove it in court."

"How do I know you're not involved?" I asked.

Alexis looked pissed.

"I wouldn't have come to the precinct to meet you today, I wouldn't have come to the morgue, and if I had done those things why would I have admitted to writing it?"

"Maybe because you were just that confident."

Alexis defended him. "Really? You think he's a murderer. If he is, Dad is."

I sighed. "I have to ask."

"I didn't do anything but submit the paper."

"We're going to need the information they sent you and any names and addresses that you have."

He pulled out his phone. "Whom do I send it to?"

I gave him my NYPD email and I had his story and all the details on my phone in seconds. I studied his reaction. I didn't see him as someone who had motive, but I had to look into it.

"I'm going to need you to answer some questions back at the precinct."

He nodded.

When we got to the precinct I sent David into the interrogation room. Espo headed towards the room and I pulled him back. "I can't go in there. Conflict of interest."

Espo smiled, silently waiting for me to explain why, but I wasn't going to tell him.

"Send in Hastings. She's good at interrogation, then we can get an unbiased view and we can get another set of eyes on this case."

"I can do it," he said. He was a little too eager to interrogate David.

"You already threatened him, _Unlce Javi_!"

He tried to brush it aside, "Yeah, but…"

"Get Hastings."

After Detective Hastings went into the interrogation room she proved that it couldn't have been him. Professors, employers, and Alexis could account for his whereabouts for the last few days. We watched from the viewing room and we both believed him. I trusted Alexis's judgment too. There was no way he was in on this, but now we had a lead and if what David said was true they had no idea we were onto them.


	25. Chapter 25 Secret Revealed

We had an email address, it wasn't much, but it was something. We had solved cases on a lot less than that. We managed to trace it to an Internet chat room and then we got stuck rooting through all of their customers and their aliases.

After two weeks sifting through conversations, profiles, and search history we found suspects.

It was no shock, after what we found out about them, that these people were keeping their identities a secret.

We had Hastings and her partner stake out the place waiting for our most likely suspects.

I had planned on going on that stake out, but Ryan had showed up with Amber at the precinct.

Castle was back at my side having finished the chapters he owed black pawn. The baby made him go all domestic and smiley.

When Castle got too close Ryan moved Amber's stroller away from him. "Jenny doesn't want anyone getting her sick!"

Castle rolled his eyes. "Didn't you bring her so we could meet her?"

"Yeah," he said, a little unsure of himself, "but…"

Jenny came over and checked on Amber ten times before we finally made it out of the precinct to get some lunch. It had been Castle's idea to get Ryan out of the house. He had been concerned that Ryan might go crazy cooped up for too long. I wanted to see him because I missed him, but I also wanted to talk to Jenny and see if she had told Ryan that Rick and I had gotten married and whether he knew not to tell Espo.

Half way through the lunch Jenny got up to use the restroom. I excused myself as well planning on talking to her. I hung out in front of the mirror pretending I was fixing my hair. When she came up I turned to her.

"Did you tell Ryan?" I asked. There was a great deal of fear in my voice, more than there ought to be.

"You really that afraid someone is going to find out?"

"It's about his image, his book sales."

"Keep telling yourself that." She said smiling.

I frowned. It was.

"I told Ryan, but he already knew. Apparently Espo is clueless though and Ryan said he wouldn't say anything. History repeating itself."

"What do you mean?"

"Kevin was the first to find out you guys were dating when you were keeping it a secret and the first to realize you and Castle has gotten hitched." She smiled. "The good thing about Kevin's detective skills means I get the facts before everyone else does."

I placed the palms of my hands against my cheeks, for some reason I was blushing. What did I have to feel embarrassed about?

We walked back out to the table and sat down. Rick and Ryan eyed the two of us like we had just been exchanging secrets and they wanted to know what they were.

It was kind of ironic since Espo should have been the suspicious one, but he was making goo goo eyes at Amber and talking to her in an unnaturally high-pitched tone. Amber was the perfect distraction for Rick and I, no one would be looking for our secrets with Ryan's kid being so adorable and she was really cute.

Unexpectedly Jenny picked her up and placed her in my arms. I tried to protest, buy Jenny insisted. It was strange considering the fact that earlier she hadn't wanted anyone to get too close and now she was as close as she could get.

The kid wriggled trying to get comfortable. She eventually settled and just looked up at me. Jenny leaned back in her chair admiring her little girl. Ryan shook his head back and forth and then I spotted Rick starring. It was that look again.

Espo looked at Amber, across at me, and back at Rick and something clicked in him. He looked up at the ceiling as if he was mentally smacking himself for being so stupid.

The waitress came up to the table. "How are you guys doing? Need anything else?" She leaned in a little. "She is so cute, how old?"

I just starred up at the waitress blankly.

Jenny answered. "She's four weeks old."

"That little one of yours is adorable. Let me know if you guys need anything."

I handed her back over to Jenny.

"She thought she was yours." At first Jenny thought it was funny then she looked like she might cry. "I thought she looked like me."

Ryan sighed. "She does, spitting image."

It sounded like Ryan had been saying this a lot the past month.

Jenny sniffled but held it together. "Sorry guys."

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Espo said smoothly. He looked at me, "Unless _you_ guys have something you need to tell me."

"Well…" Castle said.

I gave him the look.

"Kate's making such a terrible face that I'm not allowed to speak."

I thought at first that he'd keep quiet, but Castle was one to find ways around the rules, push limits to get what he wants. Our being together was proof of that.

Castle tapped just his left hand ring finger against the table. Everyone watched him do this. The shared smiles that spread around the table even affected me. We should have done this a long time ago.

They all looked at me to see my reaction. Rick had told them without my permission. I still glared at Rick, but I tapped my ring finger against the table too. Espo and Ryan started cheering causing everyone to stare.

I felt relieved that we had finally told them. The only one that didn't know now was Gates; that was still a conversation that I did not want to have.

I didn't want Rick to get kicked off the team. Eventually we'd have to face her, but not yet.


	26. Chapter 26 New Friends

Hastings and her partner Conrad managed to bring in our suspects from their stake out. Castle managed to pick the right one out of three without watching their interviews.

"You can see it in her eyes. She had mean eyes."

"You got lucky." I said. She had confessed to having an affair with the victim and had created the website for the essay contest. She had made the promise of a grand prize for the winner and then had given it to a fake contestant she had created. She had said she got the idea from a TV show. If she hadn't left a data trail on the computer she would have gotten away with it.

Gates had been impressed by the work Detectives Hastings and Conrad had done and planned on extending our task force to include them.

Over the next few months we were supposed to be allotted more time off since our team consisted of more manpower, but it felt like murders in New York had increased ten fold and none of us saw any extra time at home except for Ryan who was still taking extra time here and there to help out Jenny with the baby. The team also spent a great deal of time covering for him when he needed us to so that he could take off early or get in later.

Then in the middle of a serial case Hastings and her boyfriend started planning their wedding and it took up even more time. We wrapped up that case around the same time Hastings and Paul finished planning their wedding. We were all invited.

I wasn't sure if it was because we had actually gotten close the past few months or if it was simply because we spent so much time together.

It was a huge white wedding at a vineyard with nearly 100 guests.

While we were at dinner Rick looked upset. "What's wrong?"

"You didn't get all of this."

"I didn't need all of this, I just needed you. Besides, it was perfect."

He smiled. "I like to hear that, but…"

"No buts Castle. Would you write it any other way?"

He shook his head.

"Then don't worry about it."

After the toasts Castle asked me to dance. We were out on the dance floor for a few songs and then we slipped away. Espo and Ryan still made fun of me for being in the honeymoon phase of my relationship with Castle. I hoped that with Hastings' recent nuptials she would become the center of their jokes.

This wedding was making me think of the low lighting in the library and how romantic our situation really was. Our getting married quietly and keeping it a secret so we could still work together.

When we got back into our room Rick wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close for a long kiss. I grabbed hold of his collar and pulled him closer. When we finally pulled a part I said, "Our wedding was real and a fairytale, what more could anybody ask for."

I leaned in to kiss him again. He resisted just long enough to say. "I keep checking to make sure I really have you, that you really chose me, that you're happy."

"I am."

That night was just as perfect as our first night together.

Hastings became Whittaker. It didn't have the same ring to it, but it worked for her.

We got called onto assignment together. Conrad and Ryan were both off for the day. Espo was trying to woo Laney again and Castle and Paul were hanging out. They had become unbearably chummy, forcing me to get to know Ann Hasting Whittaker a little better. I ended up liking her a lot more than I would have expected.

Ironically we caught a case dealing with an obsessed comic book kid. He hadn't dressed up or written the comics, but he had pretended that he was one of the characters. That was how I had originally met Ann. She was going around the city dressed, as Lone Vengeance and we didn't press charges.

During an interview with one of the kid's friends she talked about all of the comics and had eventually admitted to being a Nebula 9 fan.

When we were back in the car I gave her a knowing smile, but she mistook it for me making fun of her.

"Nebula 9 is cool! I don't care what you or Paul thinks of the show. It was good."

I continued to smile like a fool.

"What?"

"And may fortune guide your journey." I said laughing and quoting the amazing show.

After that, we united forces against our writers and we ended up torturing Rick and Paul with a Nebula 9 marathon. I'd like to think that we convinced them that the show was good, but I doubt it.

They ended up making us watch this one Joss Whedon show that Rick is obsessed with, I have to admit that I liked it. The main actor was ruggedly handsome.

Since Laney and Espo were rediscovering their romance and Ryan and Jenny were absorbed in the world of Amber I was thankful to have found friends that we could relate to a little bit more, even if we had to make them think we were only dating. Anne and Paul were pretty intuitive, I doubt they bought our lies for even a second, but they pretended not to know what was going on and we appreciated it.


	27. Chapter 27 A Favor

We got a case that had been bothering us for a long time. It took us two weeks to solve. One victim every three days, it was horrible.

I was finishing up the paperwork when Ryan came over to my desk. "So?"

He waited for me to ask. "What do you want Ryan?"

He gave me puppy dog eyes. "I need a favor." He twiddled his hands nervously.

"Spit it out!"

"Can you watch my kid this weekend?"

"What?"

"I would ask someone else, but our usual sitters are all in finals week. Please?"

Rick walked up with two cups of coffee. "How's it hanging?"

Ryan went to explain. "Jenny wants me to leave this weekend to visit one of her old friends and I was hoping Beckett could watch my daughter for the duration."

Rick smiled, "Is that so? Why would you ask Beckett?"

"I trust her," was all that Ryan said.

I didn't like what Rick just implied, what did he think that I couldn't take care of a kid for a weekend. I twisted the ring on my right hand ring finger. Although I felt like I could handle it, I still didn't want to be responsible for Amber in case anything happened. Jenny would kill me. I started to explain why I couldn't. "I don't think that it's a good idea…"

Rick cut me off and finished my sentence for me, for us. "…a good idea for her to be with strangers for a whole weekend. We would be happy to watch your kid for a couple days."

Ryan looked at me waiting for me to react. I nodded.

"Are you sure?"

Rick answered again. "Of course."

"I'll run it by Jenny and I'll give you a call."

The moment Ryan was out of earshot I turned on Rick. "What do you think you're doing? One moment you say I can't handle watching a kid and the next you volunteer to…"

"I didn't say you couldn't take care of a kid Kate."

My boss Gates walked up behind Rick. "Since when do you call her Kate?"

"What can I help you with sir?" I asked her quickly to avoid Rick's response. He was dying to tell.

"Do you have that paperwork?"

I picked it up and handed it to her.

"Thanks Kate." She smiled knowingly and walked away.

I turned on Rick. "Did you tell everybody?"

He put up his hands as if at gunpoint. "I didn't say a word."

That night I got a phone call from Ryan. He had decided to leave his precious daughter with us for the weekend. At the end of work on Friday Jenny showed up with two massive duffel bags and the little girl in a car seat.

She set the car seat on top of my desk and I shared a very long look with the little girl. Quietly I whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Jenny handed over all of the bags and kissed the baby goodbye like ten times, but not before handing me lists of food she could eat and a detailed schedule and a long list of emergency contact numbers.

I assured her that we would be fine. With some prodding from Ryan they finally left.

A few of the guys in the precinct watched me, seeing what I would do next. The kid wasn't crying so I decided she would stay where she was. Rick had other ideas. He came up to us. He started with baby talk and I knew this was going to be a long weekend. "Hello. You are the most adorable thing ever. Come here."

He started to unbuckle her from the car seat. At first she was fine and then Rick said or did something and Amber started to scream bloody murder. Rick rocked her up and down, held her close, and tried a bunch of stuff. "This should work, it worked on Alexis!"

People in the precinct were getting annoyed.

Rick handed the baby to me before I could protest.

She tilted her head up and looked at me. She smiled.

Gates came out. She stumbled over her words when she saw Rick and I with Amber. "Will you please brief me and robbery on the case file you just turned in so that they can compare notes before you leave?"

I nodded. I made an attempt to hand Amber over to Rick, but she started to scream again.

Gates shook her head. "Bring her. I don't have time for this."

I walked in with Amber rested on my hip. I didn't hear a peep out of her the whole time. I didn't realize that she was wrapping her tiny fingers steadily through my hair during the meeting. I wondered after I was done if they had followed anything I said or had just starred at Amber the whole time.

A face I recognized stepped forward, it was Demming. "How've you been?"

Feeling slightly weak in one arm I tried to switch Amber to my other hip. My hair was pulled across my face making for a very awkward situation. I set Amber down on the table and untangled my hair from her tiny fist. I lifted her back up.

"I've been fine." I said it sort of flustered. I didn't realize what this looked like. "What about you?"

"Still waiting to be made Captain."

"Well, good luck." I tried to walk away.

"Who's the lucky guy?" He asked honestly wanting to know.

Before I could stop myself I told him. "Castle." I managed to keep it from those who were close to us, but when an ex-boyfriend asked it just slipped out.

He looked hurt. I had broken up with him for Rick, but this looked pretty bad. Then I looked down at Amber and realized what he thought.

"Well, I better get going. I have to get used to hanging out with this one…" I lifted her up just slightly. " I promised I'd babysit for one of my partners for the weekend and I'm not sure how this is going to work out."

He smiled ever so slightly. "It was nice seeing you."

He didn't respond.

Rick picked up the bags and the car seat and we headed out. Gates was headed out too. "Hold the elevator." She got in and we stood there silently. "So, you agreed to watch Ryan's kid?"

I nodded. This was awkward.

"You have no idea what you're in for."

I was annoyed that everyone thought I couldn't handle this. "We will be fine." I said slipping up again.

She laughed and got off the elevator.


End file.
